Amber Waves of Angst
by hbrackett
Summary: Stiles and Derek are the parents of two teenagers, who don't yet know their family's biggest secret. Will they survive the worst case of 'Growing Pains' yet?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N – So many of us have written about what it would be like if Derek and Stiles had kids, but they are usually infants or toddlers. I haven't really seen anything about how they would handle teenagers, so I wanted to write this. Let me know what you think! As many of the readers on here are teenagers (and alas, I am not), let me know what kinds of situations you would like to see; although I do have a running plot in mind, there a thousand possibilities for individual scenes that I could probably stick anywhere. In this AU, the Pack consists of Scott/Allison, Jackson/Lydia, Danny/Ted and of course Derek/Stiles. Stiles is (currently) the only human.**_

Stiles fidgeted nervously, as he always did when he was called to the principal's office. Of course, he thought he was done with all that being that he was in his freaking mid-thirties. But no, his wild-child daughter was in trouble once again. He looked over at Laura Gennifer Hale, who seemed unable to sit still and was alternately snapping her fingers and beating a fast tempo on the arms of her chair to a tune that only she could hear. Stiles remembered the music only too well, but the ADHD had gradually tapered off after he became a father. Laurie looked not at all worried, though that might change by the time Derek found out about this. A glance to the other side revealed his son Erik Steven Hale, who of course had his nose buried in a book. Stiles peered at the title: "The Ethno-Biocentric Morphogenesis of the Mephisto Phallacy" by Dr. Ian Matheson. Stiles had forgotten the first part of the title by the time he got to the end and had to read it three times before he could hold it firmly in his mind. He had no idea what it could possibly be about, but his first guess would be erotic horror. At least it wasn't 'The Notebook'.

Stiles thought back to how eager he and Derek had been to have children, once they had both gotten over themselves enough to actually admit their feelings for each other, followed by the long courtship which mainly consisted of "I'm not good for you, Stiles. My life is too dark and dangerous, because I am the Almighty Alpha and will be dodging aconite-laced bullets fired by Hunters for the rest of my life, and you are only human and don't need to be brought into all this and blah blah blah." As if he hadn't _already_ been brought into it. But after all of that was over, they had gotten married in a quiet civil ceremony (Scott was the best man, while Allison was maid of honor. Not to be outdone, Lydia promptly had herself ordained over the Internet and insisted on performing the ceremony.), and turned their thoughts to the future. Derek's sister Laura, in a magnificent gesture, had several of her eggs harvested before her untimely death as soon as her brother had admitted to her that he preferred the company of men. They had just lost their family a few months before, and Laura teased him by saying she didn't want it to be solely up to her to carry on the family name. After the eggs were fertilized with Stiles' help, the two that proved viable were implanted (after much discussion with their mates and the Pack) into their two female members. Allison gave birth to Laurie nine months later, and Lydia brought Erik into the world. Bizarrely, although the two surrogate mothers did not contribute anything DNA-wise, Erik was book-smart on a par with Lydia herself, complete with an eidetic memory and speed-reading ability, as well as being a living calculator…and no sign of ADHD, though he did have a tendency to brood. Laurie on the other hand showed natural proficiency with the bow, and was an accomplished gymnast for her age just like _her_ surrogate mother, but was so hyperactive she seemed almost to vibrate in place…and she had a natural talent for getting in trouble. The two fifteen year-olds were like oil and water, and fought on almost a daily basis…except when other people messed with one of them. Then it was the two of them against the world.

"So explain to me again why you punched Jimmy Porlock in the face?" Stiles asked quietly.

"Because I _looked_ at it. It just _screams_ 'Punch Me'. Besides, he almost threw Erik's book into the dumpster."

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me, Laurie. I can take care of myself." Erik mumbled from behind his book.

Laurie rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't think your plan of whining and jumping up and down while Jimmy held the book out of your reach would work."

Stiles rubbed his forehead. "Your father is going to kill us all, me included."

Both kids snickered at that, and Stiles joined them after a few seconds.

The door opened, and Mr. Woodard called them in.

"Mr. Hale, so good of you to come-" the principle extended his hand.

"It's 'Stilinski'. Mr. Hale isn't here yet. I kept my maiden name." Stiles said sarcastically. Laurie snorted loudly, and even Erik chuckled quietly. Mr. Woodard colored, and coughed nervously.

"Yes, of course. Why don't _you_ come in? The children can wait out here."

Giving them one last glower before going in, Stiles shut the door behind him. It was pointless to leave them out there, both would be able to hear every word that was said. Although neither teenager had developed the ability to shift yet, they both displayed sensory abilities far above normal human standards.

Just as they were seating themselves, there was a quiet knock on the door, and Derek walked in and took a chair next to Stiles, who breathed a sigh of relief. Derek placed his hand over one of Stiles', which seemed to cause Woodard some discomfort.

"So glad you could make it, Mr. Hale. As I'm sure you both know, we have a very strong anti-bullying policy here at Beacon Hills High School."

"I'm glad to hear that. Some schools let kids get away with _murder_." Stiles said, with some venom in his voice. Derek's lips quirked.

"In light of that, once Laurie returns to school from the standard 3-day suspension this infraction calls for-"

"WHOA!" Stiles growled. Derek looked at him in surprise. Although Derek was the Alpha of their Pack, Stiles was definitely the Alpha when it came to their children.

"You're telling me that _Laurie's_ the bully here? She was protecting her brother from that Porlock kid for the fiftieth time! Is he even in trouble at least?"

"Jimmy has been reprimanded, but at no time did he strike either of your children, so-"

"Not on school grounds, he hasn't! He's tried to ambush him a few times on the way home from school, I can tell you that!" Stiles was getting red in the face; Derek gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"And on none of those occasions did anything happen, since your daughter always seemed quite capable of handling herself against Jimmy _and_ his friends." Mr. Woodard countered.

Stiles took a deep breath. "Mr. Woodard…I can perfectly understand you wanting to enforce these rules so that children can feel safe in school, but you seem to be deliberately ignoring the fact that Jimmy Porlock has _always_ been the instigator every time-"

The door opened, and Hank Porlock walked in. He was dressed in grease-covered overalls, a sharp contrast to Derek's Hugo Boss suit. Stiles outfit was casual, though probably no less expensive. Their household had done pretty well since Derek started Hale Shipping, Inc. with a portion of his inheritance. Stiles was the head accountant, and Derek gave him a handsome salary (not to mention fringe benefits) and let him work from home or at the office as he needed.

Hank gave them the once-over before taking his own seat as far from them as possible. Only Stiles seemed to notice the sound of wood splintering from where Derek gripped the armrest of his chair. Now it was his turn to squeeze Derek's hand. No need for the kids to have to change schools because the principal and a parent were found partially devoured by an enormous rabid wolf.

"I couldn't help overhearin' what you said, Mr….Halinski? You gotta unnerstand, your kids are gonna get some flak, bein' that their folks are…you know…two dudes." He gave them a grin that revealed teeth that were an unhealthy shade of brown. Derek's nose was stinging from the smell of the tobacco the guy loved to chew. That was bad for one's health. Maybe Derek could help him kick the habit by pulling his jaw off…

"If you let Jimmy know that there's nothing out of the ordinary about same-sex couples, he'd be less inclined to give anyone flak about it." Derek said in a dangerous voice. Derek stared at the principal while he said this, though it was meant for Hank. Mr. Woodard couldn't meet that gaze to save his life, and searched for something in his desk drawer. Perhaps his courage.

"You telling me how to raise my boy, Hale?" Porlock countered.

Derek slowly turned to face him. Despite the inner contempt he felt for the two fruits in front of him, AND their geek son and tomboy daughter (figures the kids would be all confused), Porlock involuntarily leaned far back in his chair as a cold chill raced down his spine. Stilinski had been to their house a few times to complain about Jimmy, and Hank had to resist the urge to pound the little runt into the ground. Shortly after Stilinski left the last time, his father showed up…Hank remembered the retired Sheriff only too well. That meeting ended with Hank slammed up against the nearest wall while Steven let him know in no uncertain terms that this bullshit was to end, right the fuck now.

Despite himself, Hank couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Why, Steve? You gonna run me into jail if I don't keep my boy on a leash?"

Steven just looked at him.

"No, you stupid asshole. You may not believe this, but it's for your own good. One day, my son-in-law may just decide to show up here. _You'll wish I put you in solitary confinement in Alcatraz for ten years before he gets through with you, mark my words."_

Now, looking at Hale, Hank believed it. Hale's eyes seemed to drill right into his head. The guy was looking at him like he was _lunch_ for crying out loud.

"Yes. I am telling you how to raise your boy, since _you_ seem to be a clueless fuck. I have nothing against Jimmy, he's a product of his environment. But if he comes near our kids again, I will personally come see you, and you will _beg_ to re-educate him before I am done. I have a _list_ of ways to make sure of that. You won't… like… _any of them_. Am I clear?"

If anyone else had made those threats, Hank Porlock would come at them with both fists swinging. But something about Hale…his dead flat voice, or the 100% confident way he said them…caused something in the primitive part of his brain to keep his ass right in that chair.

"Mr. Hale! I did not call this meeting to have you fight with each other! Making threats is hardly-" Woodard shouted.

"Mr. Woodard, I will personally turn this matter over to the District Attorney, who along with the superintendent are close friends of mine. If you had done something about this before, none of us would be sitting here now. My children _will defend themselves_ when they are forced to, and I am more than willing to make a Federal case out of this. Do you want to know what _I'm_ worried about?" Derek looked at both men.

"I am worried about children getting hurt…_any_ children. I don't want ours to get hurt, and I don't want ours to hurt anyone else." Derek turned his burning gaze back onto Mr. Porlock, who seriously considered climbing out the window to get away from the psychopath who addressed him.

"Our son may come across as the bookish type, but I promise you that when the day comes he decides he's had enough…he's going to make an _example_ out of someone. For Jimmy's sake, make sure it's not him. We are done here."

Derek got up, and Stiles followed suit. Woodard and Porlock didn't move until almost ten minutes after they left.

"C'mon kids." Derek and Stiles said together. They both rolled their eyes and got up.

"Dad, can I drive in the Camaro with you?" asked Laurie excitedly. She shared her father's love of muscle cars it seemed.

"No. I have to go back to work. I had to cancel a pretty important meeting for this, and it will take me the rest of the day to reschedule. I ought to ground you for getting suspended."

Laurie got right in front of Derek and blocked him with her arms folded, and one of his own patented Glares thrown at him.

"Then tell me, _exactly_ what was I supposed to do, so I can avoid interrupting your precious meetings in the future?"

Both Erik and Stiles sucked in their breath. Laurie was the only person on earth who could work up the nerve to try a stunt like that.

Derek looked at her, grinding his teeth.

"Isn't it obvious? Beat him up _after _school!"

Then the two of them burst into laughter, and hugged each other tightly, Derek swinging her around, her long black hair almost whipping her brother in the face.

Stiles sighed. Laurie had an understanding of Derek (and he of her) that Stiles did not have even after all of these years. At least Erik looked mystified too.

"Okay, if you want you can come to work with me and maybe earn some money while you're at it. Sty, you want me to bring anything home for dinner?"

"Nope. Tonight's 'Pork chop' night."

"Give me five minutes and it can be 'Porlock chop' night. I'll be home around 7. Love you." They hugged, and Derek got into the Camaro while Laurie ran around to the other side. "Bye, Pop!" she called. No hug. Stiles leaned into the window, and gave his husband a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for coming today. I just wasn't making any headway with them."

"No problem, our kids come first, you know that." They drove off, while Stiles and Erik walked over to the minivan mostly used for family outings. Erik got into the passenger seat and opened his book again. Now Stiles felt an urge to toss it in a dumpster.

"I don't know about you, but I love these father-son bonding moments." Stiles muttered.

Erik turned a page without answering.

Stiles wondered how things would change this weekend when they had to sit the kids down and have 'The Talk." Their sixteenth birthday was rapidly approaching, and soon they would have their first shift. Too bad the kids didn't even know they were werewolves yet…

Derek had wanted to tell them when they were younger, but Stiles resisted worrying that they might be scared, or that they might tell someone outside the family. There had been no Hunter activity for years, as the Argent clan had put the word out that the Hale Pack had agreed to live by the Code and avoid harming humans. Chris had kept an eye on them for years to make sure they held up their end of the bargain, but eventually even he became convinced that all they wanted to do was live peacefully and raise their families. Allison and Scott had given them a grandchild. Christine was only twelve, and already knew she would someday be a werewolf. The last time Stiles visited them, she leapt at him growling and snarling, and tried to rip his sleeve with her teeth.

By the tenth Christmas after his kids were born, the holidays with the Argent family were almost congenial, what with Erik and Laurie calling the elder Hunters 'Uncle Chris' and 'Aunt Vivian'. When the Hale family began getting regular birthday and Christmas cards from them, it was obvious that even their icy hearts had melted.

Every now and then, Derek would say "We have to tell the kids, Sty." And Stiles would plead with Derek to let them enjoy a normal childhood for as long as they could. Derek would get annoyed at that, and insist that his own childhood had been normal, and would have _remained_ normal if not for the late and unlamented Kate Argent.

"That's just it, Der. Once we tell them…they get pulled into our world…forever! There's no going back!"

"They're in our world already, whether we like it or not. It will be worse if we keep it from them. They are going to resent us, Sty. Mark my words."

Then he would let it drop… for a while. Stiles realized that time had flown by and now the inevitable day was on the horizon. Derek was saying that their scent was _changing_…becoming less human-smelling. Stiles prayed they would take it okay, and now felt that maybe Scott and Allison had the right idea.

"Please, God…please don't let my kids eat Jimmy Porlock…" he prayed silently.

Stiles looked over when Erik put down his book. He was rubbing his jawline gently.

"What's wrong, son?" he asked nervously.

"Jaw hurts. Maybe my wisdom teeth are coming in."

Stiles looked back at the road, saying nothing.

{}{}{}{}

Derek and Laurie arrived home earlier than expected. Laurie rushed off to her room trying to hide a shopping bag under her arm. Stiles put his hands on his hips and gave Derek the 'Stiles Stun-Gaze' (about half the power of a 'Derek Death-Glare'). Derek gave him a cheesy grin.

"What?" he asked.

"Our daughter gets suspended and you take her shopping?" he fumed.

"Sty, she helped out and earned the money herself. Besides, I really don't think she did anything wrong. Porlock had it coming. Don't you think so?"

"If we let them think that this is the way to resolve conflicts, who knows what they may do…_down the road?"_

Erik glanced briefly at them, then closed his book and went down the hall to his room.

"If you're going to talk about us like we're not here, you should wait until we aren't." he called back.

Stiles face-palmed himself.

Derek came over and gave him a tight hug.

"Sorry. We should talk about how we are going to handle them together."

"I just feel like the wicked step-mother in a fairy-tale all the time."

"Well, you are the fairest of them all."

Stiles grinned despite himself, and ground himself against his mate's body, nipping at his ear. Derek growled low in his throat and gently pushed Stiles up against the nearest wall, licking up his neck and gently biting at Stiles' lips…first the bottom then the top before darting his tongue quickly inside. Stiles allowed himself to melt into the kiss for about a minute before he suddenly shouted 'Pork chops!" and tore loose to dash into the kitchen. Derek sighed and adjusted the contents of his crowded boxers before hanging up his coat and kicking his shoes into the closet. Stiles didn't know it yet, but Derek intended to power-slam him into next week as soon as they went up to bed. Thank goodness they'd had the foresight to soundproof their bedroom…

Unfortunately, Derek's plans were all for naught. After dinner, they watched some movie about killer rabbits before the kids went to bed. When Derek went to drag Stiles by hand to their bedroom, he found his mate fast asleep and gently snoring. He sighed again, missing the Stiles that once had the energy to go four or five times a day and all through the night besides. Derek gently lifted his mate off the couch and brought him up to bed, his heart swelling with painful joy at his good fortune. He gently pulled off Stiles' clothes, leaving only his boxers before stripping down to his own and spooning into his human mate. Stiles turned around and put his arm around Derek's waist…before slipping his hand beneath the waistband to grip the firm ass he found there.

"Careful what you wish for…" Derek growled, as his boxers became crowded again.

Stiles swept his hand to the front and took firm hold of him, rubbing his thumb over the most sensitive part.

"I think Sleeping Beauty is awake." Stiles mumbled.

Derek's eyes opened, and flashed a menacing crimson.

"You are _soooo_ fucked!" he growled.

"Promises, promises." grinned Stiles.

As it turned out, Derek was quite rabid about keeping his promises.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles whistled as he whirled about the kitchen making breakfast in his favorite SpongeBob boxers and 'Doug' t-shirt. He couldn't imagine why he'd been so down the last few days, life was nothing but freaking sunshine and lollipops as far as he was concerned.

Laurie and Erik came into the kitchen for breakfast.

"And what would the beautiful Princess Laurie like to eat?" Stiles asked grandly.

"Morning Pop. Scrambled eggs and toast. Hmmm, someone got lucky last night." Laurie said, giving him the fisheye. Stiles sported a large hickey on the left side of his neck.

"Eugh, gross. Old people having sex. There should be laws against that." muttered Erik. "I need a therapist."

"No argument there." Derek walked into the kitchen, fresh from a shower, his bare chest still slightly wet. When he bent over to peer into the fridge, Stiles whacked his ass through the faded blue sweatpants he wore.

"I think I'll meet you at the shrink's." joked Laurie, her blue-green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Let's give them disorders they never even heard of." growled Stiles. Derek grinned around a mouthful of strawberries, and after a short kiss, Stiles pulled one from his mouth and bit it in half.

"I just threw up in my mouth." complained Laurie.

"I went blind…and I think I'm okay with it." put in Erik.

"Sty, I'll drop Erik off at school. You're stuck with Laurie for the day though." Derek left to get dressed.

"Excellent. We'll start with the laundry; I'll let you do Erik's underwear and gym socks. Then I'll show you how to give the toilets a good scrubbing. After that we can start on the bathtub grout…"

"DAD!" screamed Laurie in terror, while Erik snickered. Stiles let them eat breakfast while he changed.

"You smell funny." Laurie said, wrinkling her nose.

"You do, too." Erik rubbed his jaw again, and blinked his eyes.

"Nice comeback, but I'm serious." she said, pulling at her ears.

"So am I. I'm going to clip my fingernails before school, they're getting gross. Tell Dad I'll be right back."

Erik put his empty cereal bowl in the sink and walked off to his room.

Laurie began her finger-snapping hand-tapping routine, until it occurred to her she ought to practice walking on her hands. She did a half-cartwheel, achieving perfect balance and equilibrium, and then on a whim arched her back until her feet hit the floor and began to crawl spider-like around the kitchen, but with her stomach facing up. Stiles came back in and shrieked.

"Stop that! You look like the girl from 'The Exorcist'!"

Laurie laughed and straightened up, pinching Stiles on the cheek. He swatted her away irritably. Derek and Erik walked out to the car after he gave his husband a last peck on the cheek.

{}{}{}{}

Derek glanced at his son, who was already digging one of his monstrous tomes out of his knapsack, while rubbing his jaw with the other hand.

"Teeth bothering you, son?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, Dad. Think I should go to the dentist?" Erik looked at him with concern. "I never had a cavity or anything, I thought maybe it was my wisdom teeth…"

"Son, it's not your wisdom teeth. Look, your Pop is going to kill me for saying anything to you without him present…but over the next few days you are going to feel some pretty strange things happening to your body. I promise you that we are going to sit down as a family and tell you…what I feel should have been said to you a long time ago."

"Like what?" Erik asked, his book forgotten on his lap. His dark eyes, so like Stiles' were wide and curious.

"Just stuff about our family…about our…heritage. It will be a little shocking…oh, damnit I should have put my foot down! This is no way for you kids to be brought into this! You aren't going to have any time to adjust!"

"Dad, you're really freaking me out! What the hell! Are we sick or something? We've never been sick in our lives, except for Pop getting a cold now and then. Is something going to happen to me or Laurie?" Erik was beginning to smell panicked. The slightly musky odor of newborn wolf was getting stronger as well.

Derek calmed himself with a mighty effort.

"NO! You aren't sick…it's more like…a family tradition. I didn't mean to upset you. Go to school, and we'll talk about it when you get home, first thing. I promise." They pulled up to the school, and Erik got out of the Camaro, and walked towards the building looking slightly dazed. Derek snarled to himself as he drove off to work, his eyes flashing crimson.

{}{}{}{}

The day dragged on, and for once Erik absorbed absolutely none of the lessons in any of his classes. He was too busy pondering his Dad's strange behavior, and what he could have been talking about.

He was so lost in his thoughts that as he walked home, he forgot to take his usual roundabout way home that let him avoid any chance of running into Porlock or his cronies. Erik wasn't a coward, far from it. He had certainly gotten into his fair share of fights over the years. But confrontations of any kind just bothered him, even when he was the winner. Laurie was the one who liked to fight, and most days kids left him alone when they were together. Erik never took the time to cultivate any friendships, and to be truthful no one had really tried with him either. He just preferred the company of his books, of words put down by people he never met, some of them long-dead. Books never jumped out at you from behind hedges…like Jimmy Porlock was about to. Erik smelled him just a moment too late.

"Hey geek. Where's your sister? Did she get _sus-pen-ded_?"

Another sniff told Erik that Shawn Murphy and Anson Cooper were behind him.

"Yes, because of you." he answered cooly.

"Was it because I threw your books in the dumpster where they belong? Don't worry, I was going to shove you in after them."

Erik clenched his teeth, feeling his own pulse reverberate through his gums.

"I'd like to see you try…without Shawn and Anson's help." The two boys who were being quiet as mice as they snuck up behind him froze. How the hell had he known they were there? The smile on Porlock's face slipped.

"You guys always say I'm such a wimp…but you always need to band together when you come after me…almost like…" Erik stepped right up close to Porlock. "…_you're afraid of me._"

Jimmy Porlock backed up a step, then cursed himself for doing so. He gave Erik a hard shove…and to his surprise, the smaller boy moved not at all.

Erik's hands and face felt hot, like they were sunburned, and they seemed to be throbbing. Even his ears were throbbing.

Suddenly Erik's arms were grabbed from the sides. In slow motion, he watched Jimmy Porlock draw back a ham-sized fist and send it on a journey that would make Erik's jaw throb in an entirely new way. If he decided to let it happen.

Erik decided not to.

He let out a loud growl and savagely twisted his torso, sending Shawn right into Porlock, their heads cracking together before they crumpled to the sidewalk. Erik grabbed at the suddenly terrified Anson's arm and yanked the other way with all his strength. Anson screamed as he was sent hurtling over the unconscious bodies of his friends and head first into a parked car where he made a sizeable dent in the metal.

Erik stood there, breathing rapidly in and out, and the urge to hurt them even more…a LOT more… came over him so powerfully that he was almost too late to stop himself. He shook his head to clear it. What the hell was happening to him? Was this what his Dad was trying to tell him? Erik shouldered his knapsack and began to sprint home, catching sight of his own blurred reflection in a car window. He stopped and backpedaled, taking a closer look. Nothing now…but a second ago, he could have sworn his eyes were glowing.

He ran the rest of the way home.


	2. Chapter 2

Erik ran up to the house, barely registering the fact that he was not close to out of breath and had made the trip in record time. His hearing, always excellent, was now feeding him a telephone conversation his father was having with Grandpa Stilinski.

"Yeah, Dad. The kids are fine, you know they can't get sick. We're giving them the 'Talk' today when they all get home. Derek's been all over me about it, and I can't blame him…I think I may have screwed up holding it back for so long. Erik's been showing some signs, and Laurie's been really aggressive lately…moreso than usual. You know, I just wanted to let them have fun and be kids without all of this horror movie stuff. Yes, I remember how difficult it was being a teenager, it wasn't that long ago, Dad. You did a great job with me, and I don't think I ever told you how much I love and appreciate everything you did for me."

Stiles was quiet for a second, and Erik was surprised to hear his father crying.

"Dad… I am so scared they're going to hate us… hate _me_. These kids are my whole life, I would go crazy if anything ever happened to them. They've gotten so big, and I just can't ground them or take them out for ice cream anymore…Laurie is so bonded to Derek, they are exactly alike except for the hyperactive part, it's a good thing Derek's perpetually 25 …Erik, well he's 'research guy', like I was, but Christ knows _what _he's researching, he keeps to himself. I wish he'd just have a hidden porn collection like I did…oh, sorry Dad, I forgot what that did to you when you found it…well _I _don't go snooping in my son's room like some people! Dad… I feel like I'm losing them, that I don't understand them and…that I can't protect them. I would give my life for them to be happy…and Derek, well you could imagine what he'd do for them. I don't know. All I know is that I love them so much it hurts."

Silence for about three minutes.

"Yeah, I guess that's what it means to be a parent. No, I wouldn't give it up no matter how crazy it makes me. I feel like they're the best thing Derek and I ever did. Thanks for listening, Dad. I love you. Bye."

Erik peeked in the window and watched his father rest his face in his hands. Then he grabbed a tissue, wiped his eyes, and walked off into the kitchen.

Erik sat on their porch swing and contemplated what he had just heard.

#1. The parental units were about to lay a bombshell on them.

#2. It was serious enough for his father to have a nervous breakdown over it.

#3. Erik had no desire to be a parent _anytime_ soon.

#4. Whatever was going to happen…he needed to let his father know he was doing a great job.

Erik felt a little guilty about that last part. They didn't know it, but he spent long hours on the phone with his 'Aunt' Lydia, discussing topics ranging from philosophy to quantum physics. She was the only person in their extended family that could keep up with his intellect…Erik just sort of…took his parents for granted, behaving as if they had nothing to offer him besides food and shelter, and maybe money when he needed it. Guilt ate away at him…he felt like a spoiled child. He couldn't remember the last instance of quality time they had together…and when they never pushed the matter, he assumed they were satisfied with the status quo. His parents loved each other, and loved their children…he and Laurie were very lucky compared to some other kids at school. He resolved to turn over a new leaf and be a better son, no matter what news they had to tell him.

Erik unlocked the door with his key. "Pop! I'm home!"

He kicked his shoes into the hall closet in unconscious imitation of Derek and walked into the kitchen. Stiles was pretending to be busy pulling out ingredients for cooking (and from the haphazard collection of items, it would likely have been the last thing they ate), all the while dabbing at his eyes to hide evidence of his tears. Erik cursed himself for not giving him few more minutes. He decided he would pretend not to notice. He seemed to be good at that.

"I thought I'd make cookies tonight for after dinner, what kind do you want?" Stiles asked, holding a box of rat poison and a bottle of ammonia.

"Um, the non-poisonous kind?" Erik said, half-alarmed.

Stiles looked at the items he was holding and quickly stowed them away. Erik noticed for the first time the slight graying of hair at his father's temples, and it made him uneasy.

"Oh, I wasn't going to make cookies with these; that would be silly…and highly criminal…um, grab some fresh fruit before you go hide in your room, I'm not sure what time your Dad will be home."

"I'm okay. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Science Museum with me this weekend. There's a new exhibit I want to see-"

"What? A Museum? With me? You want to spend time with me?"

The guilt monster in Erik's gut took another chomp at the look of sheer happiness on his father's face.

"Yeah, I know it's probably boring, so we don't have to stay long-"

"No, no I'd love. I used to like Science. I made a volcano once…that didn't work out so well, your grandfather had to repaint the whole kitchen…ummm, your Dad and I have to have a chat with you kids tonight, and you might not want to…oh, nevermind. One thing at a time. Yes, I'd like to go. We'll make a day of it!"

Erik was a little dazed at this ramble, and recalled his Dad's stories of Pop's legendary ADHD. He wondered if Pop were having a relapse.

Erik took a deep breath.

"Um…Dad hinted that there was something serious you had to tell us. I want you to know that no matter what it is…I'll always love you guys."

Erik gave his stunned father an awkward hug before heading to his room. He glanced back to see him still standing there speechless.

Laurie was in his room, listening to his CD's since her player was broken. She took off the headphones when he came in. He threw himself on his bed, while she plopped into his giant bean bag he used for playing video games.

"Jimmy Porlock and his two goons tried to jump me after school." he told her.

Color slammed into her face. "That creep! He waited until you were at school alone! When I get my hands on him on Wednesday…"

Erik laughed. "It's okay…I kind of…wiped the floor with them. _All_ of them!"

Laurie goggled at him for a second, and then a huge smile broke out on her face.

"Awesome! Way to go! Tell me all the details!" She looked positively bloodthirsty.

He gave her the run down, and she gave him an appraising look.

"Really? _You_ did that? Bro, not that I'm doubting you or anything…"

"I _know_ how it sounds, I'm well aware I inherited Pop's body type. But if any of those three are even _in _school on Monday, I'll eat my books!"

"I so wish I could have seen it…or helped…" a growl came into her voice at the end.

"I think it has something to do with this big secret they've been keeping. Has Pop mentioned anything?"

"Just that it was serious and we would find out after dinner."

"Are you worried?" he asked.

"No, not really. Why? Are you?"

Erik gave her some of the highlights of the conversation he overheard between their father and grandfather. She was silent for a few minutes.

"I guess we do give them a hard time. Dad and I get along great even though we argue a lot, and I love Pop, it's just that we're so different. I know he gets upset when I visit Aunt Allison for training lessons, and that he wishes he could do that stuff with me…but he's the world's biggest klutz!"

"Yeah, same with me and Aunt Lydia. And I don't even get along with Dad that well, I mean he loves me I'm sure, but he's always giving me these quizzical looks, like he wonders what planet I'm from. Well, let's make an effort…I've got to do some major bonding with Dad and we both need to let Pop know we appreciate him."

"Pop will be easy, he'd be overjoyed if we all went to the doctor and got painful shots together. You'll have your work cut out for you with Dad. He's…much more…"

"Yeah, he is."

The sound of the front door slamming let them know that their Dad was home. The kids gave them a few minutes of privacy, then went out to greet him.

Laurie tackled her father and gave him a quick hug and kiss.

"Hey, Dad." Said Erik.

"Hey, Son." Derek replied.

"Um…." Erik held his arms out for a hug.

Derek stared at him for a moment in shock, then gave him a stiff and brief squeeze before putting his jacket in the closet.

"Nice job." Laurie whispered.

"Shut up." Erik muttered.

They finished their meal of steak and Stiles' famous home fried potatoes (although he ate just a salad and some steamed vegetables. He fretted constantly about developing a paunch.)

The kids cleared the dishes away while the two parents exchanged some kind of wordless communication that consisted of intense staring at each other. When the kids sat back down, Stiles was the first one to speak.

"So, um, your Dad and I feel that you kids should know something… about our family. We're not like other families…"

"We know we have two fathers, Pop." said Erik.

"Yeah, but besides that. We…I mean your father is, different. So are your Uncles and Aunts, and cousins Christine and Dylan. So are you."

"It sounds like we're all the same if it's that many people." Laurie said, looking confused.

"Well, it's all of us, I mean all of you all being different from all of us, I mean all of them…oh, God. Derek, help me out." Stiles covered his face with his hands.

"What your Pop means to say is that we aren't…exactly human."

Laurie's eyes were wide. Erik kept blinking his eyes and looking back and forth between them.

"Spit it out, Dad. What the heck are we?" Laurie said a little loudly.

"Kids, you have nothing to be afraid of, no matter what happens-" Stiles began.

"Dad!" Laurie Glared at Derek.

"We're a family of werewolves." Derek said bluntly.

"Are you guys on _crack?_" Laurie exclaimed.

"Laurie…" began Erik.

"Quiet, Erik! I need to hear our parents tell us what drugs they're on! Is this some sort of practical joke?"

"Laurie! I think they're telling the truth! It explains what happened to me today!"

Now both parents stared at their son. "What happened today?" they asked at the same time. The kids looked at how worried their parents were, and suddenly all doubt fled from their minds.

Erik gave them a brief summary of his encounter. Stiles moaned and got up, needing something to drink. He came back with a JOLT! Cola, which he downed without blinking.

"Did you…change at all, son? More importantly did they see you? And most importantly…are you all right?" asked Derek.

"Maybe a little, I don't know. I kind of thought my eyes were glowing a little. I took them all out pretty quickly, so I don't think they saw anything. And I'm okay, thanks for asking."

"So we're going to change into monsters some time soon?" asked Laurie quietly.

"We…aren't…monsters. _Actions_ are what make monsters. Your Uncle Chris had a sister that did terrible terrible things, and she was human…but more of a monster than any of us will ever be. One day, I'll tell you all of that stuff, but for now you kids need to know because any day now you will be able to shift into your full Beta forms-"

"Beta forms?" exclaimed Erik incredulously. "As in there's an _Alpha_ form?"

Derek nodded, smiling slightly. "That's right, son. I'm the Alpha of the whole Pack. I can transform further than anyone else."

"I want to see!" said Laurie, folding her arms.

"Laurie, it would rip my clothes to shreds, and I would do a lot of damage to our house. I can show you a little though."

Derek closed his eyes, and opened them a few seconds later to reveal glowing crimson orbs.

"Whoa!" screamed Laurie, leaping backwards. "Okay, I've had enough of this crap. I'm going to my room." She sounded near tears.

Erik looked after her and back at his parents. Stiles looked stricken, but Derek looked like he had his heart ripped out.

"Dad, Pop…it's a bit much, but I can deal. And I understand why you kept it a secret. I appreciate you giving us the chance to have a normal childhood."

Stiles eyes were wet, while Derek just kept staring at the ceiling, as if trying to control himself.

Erik stood and gave Stiles a firm hug. When he went over to Derek, his Dad grabbed him and squeezed him tight, in contrast to the awkward hug from before.

"I'll be okay. Seriously. I have a lot of questions, but let's save that for tomorrow. I'll try to talk to Laurie." He went down the hall and turned back briefly.

"I love you guys."

He went to his sister's room.

"Erik took it way better than I hoped." Stiles said.

"And Laurie took it so much worse than I expected. I really thought she'd just be like 'Awesome!' and we'd go running through the woods together. And I really underestimated our son." Derek said quietly.

"I can see it from his point of view…in a way. He's always been the quiet bookish type…this must be like discovering a superpower for him. Laurie…she liked things exactly as they were. This can only complicate her life."

Derek hugged him, and went upstairs to get changed.

The doorbell rang, and Stiles got up to answer it.

{}{}{}{}

Erik closed the door behind him and looked at his sister sprawled on her bed. Tears stained her cheeks.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Go away." She said irritably.

"I'm like a nasty skin disorder, I keep coming back."

Laurie chuckled despite herself.

"C'mon, Laurie. No family is perfect."

"I guess you won't need me to handle the bullies for you anymore."

Erik laughed. "I'm sure you'll still be twice as strong as me. I'll always need you around."

"Jesus, Erik. How can you take this so calmly? What kind of life can we have living like this? It's like we're cursed."

"I don't see it that way. I never told you this…but I didn't like how other kids saw me. Weak, nerdy, geeky. This is such an improvement for me…kind of Badass actually." He gave her an awkward grin. She burst out laughing.

"You. _Badass_. Yeah, you'd need to be a werewolf to get a label like that. Well I'm very happy for you, bro. But I feel like _my_ life is over."

They both jumped when they heard the gunshot.

They tore down the hall towards the dining room. Stiles lay on the floor, blood spreading outward from his body and across the floor.

"POP!" shrieked Laurie. Erik was paralyzed with fear.

Hank Porlock stood there, his face red with fury with a smoking shotgun in his hands. When he saw the kids, he swung the shotgun around towards them.

"Put my kid in the hospital, will ya? You little freak, I'm gonna blow your whole family away-"

He fell silent at the sound of a monstrous bestial roar from the top of the stairs. With a thump that made the entire house shake, the three watched an enormous anthropomorphic wolf land at the bottom of the stairs. Its eyes glowed like the fires of hell, the mouth full of razor sharp fangs open wide and dripping saliva onto the floor. The kids looked at their father, and wondered that they weren't terrified…some inner sense told them that they had nothing to fear from him; that no matter how enraged he was, he would never…_could_ never hurt them.

Hank Porlock, as massively drunk as he had to be to go through with this, suddenly felt all the liquid courage evaporate from his body in mere seconds. One look at the beast was all that was necessary to let him know he was a dead man. Hank turned tail and ran. The beast fell to all fours and was about to bound after him when another shot rang out and they heard Hank's body thump heavily to the porch. The beast gave a dismissive sniff then, and turned to the body of its mate. A low moan-growl emerged from its throat, and it nudged the unmoving body softly. It gave out a loud mournful howl that seemed to reverberate through the entire world. All across Beacon Hills, those individuals who were members of the Hale Pack all looked up, eyes shifting through a myriad of colors while dread filled their hearts.

Erik broke from his paralysis first and rushed over to them. The beast did not growl or attack, but simply looked at the crying boy with glowing red (and incredibly lost) eyes.

From outside they heard "We need an ambulance, right now. Two gunshot victims."

Grandpa Stilinski walked in, holstering his police issue revolver.

He looked at his son and just fell to his knees.

"Derek? You know what you have to do." he said, not taking his eyes off of Stiles

The beast growled at him, then picked up one arm with its jaws and with unbelievable gentleness broke the skin with its fangs. Then it walked away and slowly began to change back to human form as they watched.

A naked Derek Hale sat on the floor, knees gripped tightly to his chest and shrieked as despair tried to tear his body in half.

{}{}{}{}

After Stiles was stabilized and on complete life support, the family was allowed to visit him. The four took seats in the corners of the room as if forming a protective ring around him.

"I heard about the Porlock kid winding up in the hospital with a concussion, and swung by Hank's place. When I saw his truck gone, I hauled ass over to you. I guess I was just a minute too late." the ex-Sheriff said brokenly. Although he was retired, he had taken a desk job with the force investigating insurance fraud and getting a moderate salary to supplement his hefty pension. He was still allowed to carry a badge and gun, as well as his police cruiser once the SHERIFF decals had been replaced.

Laurie and Erik were quiet, unable to speak. Derek didn't move until the rest of the Pack arrived. They crowded into the room, against the squawking orders of a nurse that Steven spoke to quietly before sending her away. He gestured to the kids to follow him outside.

"Hank Porlock is dead. Jimmy will be placed with his mother back in Florida once he recovers, he has no family here. My report will say quite truthfully that he came at me with a loaded shotgun. You two can stay with me at my house. If you want, I can send someone to pick up anything you might need."  
>"Is he going to be all right?" asked Laurie. She started crying again, as she had been doing on and off since they left with the ambulance.<p>

"I don't know. Derek told me a long time ago, even before they were together, that he was afraid to bite Stiles, because not everyone turns. Some people just die. He said he couldn't live with himself if that happened. He was only just realizing what his feelings were about him. I approved of his choice, but Stiles' chances are a lot worse in this condition. Kids, I don't want to give you any false hope. It doesn't look good."

"Grandpa, there's got to be something we can do." Erik said brokenly. He cursed himself again for wasting so much time with his books when he could have been getting to know the father that was about to be taken from him…the father who by his own admission would gladly die for them.

"The Pack is doing everything they can. I got them the privacy they needed. They're going to shift and surround him, and hope that whatever power makes you all what you are is enough to save him. Werewolves have fantastic healing ability…I've seen it over the years enough times to know…and you heal faster the more of you there are around. If you kids could shift already, I'd have you in there with them. They…they aren't sure there's enough of them to help him. Then there's the other matter."

"What's that?" asked Erik.

"Your Dad. He…won't last long without Stiles."

"What?" screamed Laurie.

"Werewolves mate for life. They're…bound together. If one of them dies..."

"Oh, holy freaking crap!" Laurie walked away before circling back.

Erik looked stricken.

"Kids, if that happens…one of you will likely become the new Alpha."

"Okay, Grandpa? Let's give the mind-blowing revelations a rest for tonight."

Erik went and looked through the window into Stiles' room. He looked around at the shifted forms of those he had called Aunt or Uncle his whole life, and wondered that he had never questioned that form of address when it was obvious they weren't related by blood. Laurie joined him staring at what she knew to be her own future. The eyes were the most amazing thing. Uncle Scott, Uncle Danny and Aunt Allison's were a golden amber, while Uncle Jackson, Uncle Ted and Aunt Lydia's were a bright blue. Derek's, of course, were crimson.

"Laurie…I'm going to try to shift. I think you should too. If we can, we'll go in there and maybe it'll help Pop."

"Erik…I don't want to!" She bit her lip, looking at Derek's face which was etched with concern. "But… I guess we have to. C'mon. Let's use that bathroom over there."

Locking the door behind them, they both squeezed their eyes shut and willed themselves to shift.

Nothing happened.

They looked at each other confused.

"Why isn't it working?" Laurie tried hard not to sound relieved.

"I think we have to be emotional, or pissed off or something. Dad was pretty pissed when he changed, and I was pissed at Jimmy freaking Porlock…" Erik's voice devolved into a growl at the end, startling them both.

"Your eyes glowed for a second! Just like Uncle Scott's!" exclaimed Laurie.

"Yeah, it's definitely wired into the sympathetic nervous system, probably triggered by neurotransmitters like adrenalin or norepinephrine." Erik said quietly.

Laurie punched him in the arm. "Stop talking like a lab geek! No one has any idea what that means." Her eyes seemed to glint a bright blue.

"Don't call me a geek!" Erik growled, shoving her back.

"Make me stop, _little_ brother! Or are you going to run off crying?" she pushed harder, and he banged into the wall of the little room.

"You think I can't stop you? Watch this!" Erik shoved with all his might. Laurie slammed into the wall hard enough to crack the tiles. She actually growled, and fangs pushed through her gums. The glint turned into a steady blue glow as her ears developed points.

Laurie grabbed her brother by the shirt front and lifted him in the air as his hands sprouted sharp claws and his eyes glowed with amber fire.

"I think…we should go help Pop." He growled at her.

Laurie blinked a few times, then let him down. She clawed open the door, and the two walked calmly past their grandfather who nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw them.

The Pack were stunned to see the two youngest members in a full-blown Beta shift, but quickly welcomed them among the group. The kids felt almost plugged into something then. The Beta shift had been on the point of melting away once they controlled their anger, but now it was sustained by the presence of the others in the room. Derek looked at them, an expression of unmistakable pride sweeping across his face before the grief returned. Looking in the window, Steven sighed, resigning himself to a long night on an uncomfortable chair.

{}{}{}{}

The kids awoke to find themselves bathed in sunlight, and all traces of the Beta shift gone from their features. The Pack elders were gone, and Derek was snoring gently in his chair. But the best thing of all was the fact that Pop was awake.

"Hey kids." he said groggily.

"POP!" they shouted, running to him and gently hugging him. Their shout woke Derek, who leapt from the chair and in a blur of movement was suddenly covering Stiles' mouth in a kiss fit for a Big Red commercial.

"Uggghhhhh!" said Erik jokingly. Derek grabbed the two kids and nearly crushed their rib cages as he gave them each a fierce kiss on the tops of their heads.

"I saw what you kids did. You may have just saved your Pop's life."

Laurie was crying again, but Erik…Erik was feeling an almost odd happiness. He never felt closer to any of them than he did right at that moment, and he was glad that for all their differences, they all had at least one thing in common…a family that would support each other no matter what. Well, make that _two_ things in common.

Grandpa Stilinski came in then, leading to another round of hugs.

"Kids, give me a minute alone with your parents, would you?" he asked gently.

They nodded and walked out the door, looking back at the adults curiously.

After they told Stiles what happened, he looked grim and wished despite everything that all of it could have been avoided.

Derek took Steven's hand in both of his own.

"Thank you. You shot that prick before I could tear him apart, and saved our family from another wave of Hunters coming after us for breaking the treaty. If I'd gotten my teeth into him, there wouldn't even have been a body to find."

Steven looked surprised.

"That's very generous of you to say Derek, and I wish I could take credit for the sentiment, but damned Hunters were the last thing on my mind. If I'd been one of you, I would have torn him apart myself and sent a full confession to them, daring them to make an issue out of it. I did it… so that the kids wouldn't have to see their father take a life…you had every right to, but they're going to have enough on their plates without dealing with that. I know you'll teach them right, Derek. Especially now that you have a full partner in crime to help you out. I'll take the kids for the day. You two spend some time together." The Sheriff walked out, and the kids came in to say goodbye one more time. When the two were alone, Derek looked at his mate closely, noticing all of the subtle changes that had taken place. The tell-tale gray was gone, and Stiles looked almost like a teenager again. Although pale, he was stronger than ever, and proved it when he suddenly manhandled Derek onto the bed next to him.

Stiles' eyes glowed amber as he looked into Derek's, and whispered four little words that promised to change the entire dynamic of their relationship.

"You are _soooo_ fucked!"

"Promises, promises." Derek whispered into his mouth before kissing him again.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N – Thanks so much to the most incredible collection of people in the world, namely those who take the time to review my own and other stories on this site. Some people reviewed that I've never seen before, and many more consistently comment on everything I produce and I want you to know I will **__**always**__** love hearing from you! Now the story enters the 'training' phase, where the kids figure out they have a great deal to learn from their parents after all, as well as the rest of the Pack that I've not given any real face time to. Don't worry, that changes.**_

Derek faced off against his son, leaning over and growling with eyes aflame and claws and fangs fully extended. The two wore only running shorts so as not to get their clothes covered in blood. He wouldn't push past the Beta phase for this part of their training…but even that seemed to be a bit much since Erik hadn't phased at all…

Derek stood up straight and sighed. "You aren't shifting."

Erik folded his arms across his thin frame, so like Stiles they could have been twins. "I know, Dad. I still can't control it yet."

"I can't teach you how to fight if you can't shift at will. You have to have two things to hold on to at all times. One thing that makes you furious, and another that makes you calm. Here, put on this heart monitor. Werewolves shift when their heart rate reaches 165 beats per minute."

"Wow, that's high. Can we have coronary thrombosis, occlusions or infarctions?"

Derek's eyes were wide. "_What?"_

Erik rolled his eyes. "Nevermind."

"So, you're going to teach yourself how to get your heart rate above or below that mark, at will. Understand?"

"Of course! This is Biofeedback, which is becoming aware of various physiological functions using devices that provide information on the activity of those same systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will. Processes that can often be controlled include brainwaves, muscle tone, skin conductance, pain perception and heart rate! Changes occur in conjunction to thoughts, emotions and behavior. Eventually, I'll be able to do it _without_ the heart monitor. Awesome!"

The only word Derek understood in the entire tirade was 'Awesome'.

Lydia brought them out some bottled waters from the house. Noting the heart monitor, she brightened. "Biofeedback! Awesome! You know Derek, Biofeedback is becoming aware of-"

"LEAVE NOW!" Derek roared, the muscles under his skin rolling like waves on the beach. His water bottle exploded in his crushing grip.

"I guess _I'm_ your trigger, I'm flattered. Good luck, boys!" she wandered back to the house while Derek fought the urge to just let go and rampage through the forest. When he was sufficiently calm, he turned back to his son, and tried not to be irritated at the huge smirk on his face. Erik quickly wiped it off and drank down his water.

"You ready? Go ahead son, shift."

Derek waited about 30 seconds. Nothing happened. "You're not trying hard enough. I've never met a teenager that wasn't enraged about _something_. What were you thinking about?"

"When they took the Discovery Channel off our cable package."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Think of something _even more annoying_."

"How about Laurie?"

"How about the night your father got shot?" Derek said quietly.

Erik growled, and the heart monitor beeped frantically. Derek watched with a mixture of pride and sadness as the remark sent his son into the Beta phase. It was a low blow.

"_I don't want to use that!_" he said through clenched fangs.

"Erik…there is a rage in our people that's almost as old as we are. We have been hunted and persecuted by ignorant humans for hundreds of years. They think nothing of taking away that which is most precious to us. That is _exactly_ what you have to tap into to control your change."

"You want me to hate human beings." he said flatly. He shifted back.

"No. Just those that would hurt us." Derek replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It's like at school. There were kids you got along with and…um, there _were_ kids you got along with?"

Erik's eyes smoldered. "This is the 'Erik Evil-Eye' you're seeing right here."

"Terrifying. I should never have told you what your Pop and I call our Glares. Anyway, some kids were your…I mean they didn't _bother_ you…and other kids gave you a hard time. How did you feel when they were picking on you?"

Erik sulked. "Not great."

"Why not? Because they called you names? Nerd? Weakling? Geek? Dork? Sissy?"

Erik's eyes flared at the last one. There was a beep from the device.

"Did kids call you that, Erik?" he asked quietly.

"No dad. They…"

"What? Tell me."

"They called you and Pop that. Other names too, worse names."

"Have you two gotten a lot of flak because of us?" Derek fought the urge to grab his son in a hug and comfort him. Later, after training he promised himself.

"Yeah, a bit. I don't care though, they don't get how you guys are! I can't imagine either of you with anyone else! I wouldn't change anything about either of you!" Derek knew his son was telling the complete truth, and he felt an unfamiliar surge of affection for him…not just because he was Derek's son, but because he was Erik…a young man he wanted to get to know a lot more.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, son. But I _am_ sorry you had to go through that. You know, among werewolves, I mean the old families…it's no big deal. Mating is sort of like fate or destiny. You can't make the wrong choice…deep down, you always know." Derek looked into the sunset, his thoughts un-guessable to his son.

"Dad…let's try again." Erik finally said.

"All right. Shift."

Erik closed his eyes. Whatever he was thinking of was obviously effective, because in less than ten seconds, the monitor was beeping rapidly. Erik opened his eyes, and they were a smoky golden amber. He gave an open mouthed growl at his father, revealing long white fangs.

Derek nodded grimly. "Good, son. Now…_come at me_!"

Derek barely had time to shift himself before Erik was upon him.

{}{}{}{}

When they returned to the house, Stiles gave them both his Stun-Gaze. The two were covered in claw and bite marks.

"Derek! I said you could train our son, not _eat him!_ Couldn't you hold back a little, he's new at this!"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. For your information, he gave as good as he got. Turns out our son has a _lot_ of repressed anger! I wonder who he gets it from?" Derek sighed heavily as he settled into a wooden kitchen chair and pleasurably drank three bottles of water while Erik drank two. Despite his injuries, Erik bounced around the kitchen, grabbing cold fried chicken out of the fridge and ripping into it like Ghengis Khan.

"I totally kicked Dad's ass! Well, almost. It was all over when he went Alpha. But Dad taught me how to shift whenever I want, and I think I have it down! I can't wait until tomorrow!"

Scott looked bemusedly at the two of them. "He's enjoying his training a hell of a lot more than I enjoyed mine! Look at him, Derek! He's really into it! I can't wait to send Christine over to you when _she_ comes of age. I personally think she will tear you apart, Alpha or not!"

Derek groaned, remembering his last encounter with Scott's terrifying daughter. That girl was born with her rage trigger locked firmly in the 'ON' position.

Jackson smirked. "I love that Pack rule that the Alpha has to train all cubs. Dylan will probably shift at the same time as Christine, Derek. He's at least as rabid as she is."

"Did the four of you do heavy drugs while you were pregnant with those kids?" Derek groaned, thanking his lucky stars he still had three or four years before that nightmare became reality. "Besides, we ALL have to train all of the cubs. Scott, your specialty is one on one combat. Ted and Danny are the best at tracking. Lydia and Allison can teach guerilla tactics and environmental warfare. Jackson, what can you teach them?"

"Make sure your claws aren't out when you watch porn. You'll dice yourself up like an onion."

"Uncle Jackson! Eughhh!" Erik clapped his hands over his ears and fled the kitchen.

"Jackson, you _will_ be eating a bar of soap if you ever talk to my son like that again." Stiles said grimly.

"Chill out, Stiles. Believe me, I wish someone had given _me_ that advice!"

Despite his pain, Derek just had to laugh.

{}{}{}{}

Laurie walked into the bathroom while Erik was still cleaning his wounds.

"In some cultures, typically Western ones like the United States, it is frowned upon for more than one person to be in a private bathroom." Erik remarked, in between hissing at the sting of the antiseptic.

"In some cultures, people would just say 'Get out!' Why are you bothering with that? Dad says we just heal anyway. You can't even find Pop's bullet wound." Laurie replied.

"Let me try another tactic. Asking you to talk about your feelings usually sends you running…how do you feel, Laurie?"

"If you want me gone, I'm gone." She turned around, and Erik had to drop what he was holding and use his new extra speed to get in front of her.

"Whoa! I didn't think you were really upset! I like our back and forth teasing banter. What's up?"

"I feel like I'm the only one in the world who's upset by all of this! Look at you, all this shifting is giving you muscles you never had before! The kids are going to freak and accuse you of being on steroids the next time you're in gym!"

Erik lifted an arm and kissed one of his own biceps. "Yeah, I have filled out quite nicely into a near Olympian ideal, a prime example of delectable masculinity…"

Laurie laughed at him. "You're a nerd with muscles."

"I've asked you not to call me names like that." he growled, his eyes flaring.

Laurie's face got serious. "You never minded it much before, not from me! You would just call me names back. You're _changing_, Erik, and I don't mean into a wolf! You're more confident now, and you have all of this ego and self-esteem-"

"And that's a bad thing? You sound like you're upset I'm not a little weakling that people can just push around anymore! Or is it that you don't get to play 'Supergirl' and rescue me from the clutches of evil bullies?"

Laurie turned pale at seeing how angry he was, at how angry she was making him…at her. This was not what she wanted when she came to see him. "No, of course not! But… where does it end? Are you going to become a completely different person? Am I? Even Pop's changing a little bit! He puts up with a lot less crap than he ever did before, even with Dad! I'm freaking _scared_, Erik! Can't you see that? Damn it, I don't want to change!"

She left him, and this time he didn't stop her. He looked into the mirror and saw that all of the minor cuts and scratches were gone in just the time he was talking to Laurie. Sighing, he stared at his reflection, and tried to see the subtle changes she was talking about. For the life of him, he couldn't…he felt like the same person. He put away the antiseptic and locked the bathroom door before tossing the bloody shorts in the hamper and hopping in the shower.

{}{}{}{}

The next day saw Derek again clad in running shorts, while Laurie wore some crazy designer military-looking outfit that her Aunt Allison bought her. The shorts and top were made of very tough material that was difficult to tear, while also looking fashionable. The card read 'For the Sarah Connor in all of us!'

"All right, Laurie. Shift." Derek fully expected to have to repeat yesterday's lesson in full, and he had the heart monitor ready.

Laurie came for him.

"You're not shifting-" he began before she reached him, and with an expert foot-sweep had her father lying on his back, the dirt and pebbles digging into his bare skin. She jumped up and slammed her elbow into his chest like a pile driver, the whole weight of her body behind it. The air whooshed out of Derek's lungs and he curled into a fetal position. She stood over him, grinning triumphantly.

When he recovered, he stood regarding her warily. "Was that supposed to prove a point?" he asked.

"Yes. I don't _need_ to be a werewolf to kick anyone's ass. I can do it myself!"

"Laurie…a werewolf is not something you become, it's something you _are_. You have always _been_ a werewolf, and you always _will_ be one, even if you never shift again in your life! You have to get over this attitude problem if you're ever going to-"

Laurie jumped and whirled in the air, connecting her LadyKed sneaker solidly with her father's jaw. He crumpled to the floor. When he stood, his eyes were flashing a menacing crimson. She looked at him calmly. No fear smell at all, and her heart rate was elevated, but not enough for a shift…she was keeping it leveled off intentionally. Despite her resistance, she was learning to control the shift…just for a different reason than most werewolves.

"Young lady, you will not attack me again unless I give you the go ahead, and you are in your Beta form."

"I can't promise anything." She folded her arms in her typical gesture of defiance.

"Then we are done here today." Derek turned and walked back to the house, leaving her standing alone in the clearing.

"Sore loser!" she called after him. There was no reply. She heard the back door slamming from too far away. Either her wolf hearing was turned on, or he was furious with her. Her stomach turned at the idea that she would lose the close relationship she had with him…the two had been thick as thieves ever since she could remember. In her baby pictures, he held her more often than not, that look of savage pride plastered all over his features. Now, he was spending way more time with Erik while she found herself clinging to Pop. He never forced her to do anything; if she told him she was done with training for the day, he just nodded and said he was there to talk if she wanted. She never took him up on the offer, but she appreciated it just the same and found every excuse to be near him. He enjoyed the new attention, that was obvious, but she knew he was worried about her.

She went inside after about half an hour. They knew better than to force her. One sniff told her that Dad and Erik were gone. She cursed the fact that the heightened senses were almost impossible to turn off. Pop was at his computer, working on some spread sheets for the company.

"Hey, sweetheart." She could tell he wanted to ask more questions, but experience told him that was the easiest way to get her to clam up. He just waited expectantly until she was ready to speak. How could it be after all these years that he had such an understanding of her?

"Dad's pretty mad, huh?" she asked in a small voice.

"Oh, I've seen him in worse moods over the years. Once or twice. You should have seen him before we were married, I thought his eyes were going to pop out from all the Glaring. He was always either snarling or clenching his teeth. I was usually the cause of that, early on. If I had a nickel for every time he slammed my head into something…"

"Dad did that to you? That's horrible!" Laurie exclaimed. When Derek dragged her out for training tomorrow, she was going to pile drive him extra hard.

"He was falling in love with me, and didn't know how else to express it. He never _really_ hurt me, and I'm not just saying that. He used to _brutalize_ your Uncle Scott when he first got bitten, and I knew your Dad was practically using kid gloves with me, despite how much my ADHD pissed him off. Dad had to save my life once, and I never saw him so furious. That's when I knew. When he finally confessed how he felt, he never did any of that again. This sounds twisted, but I kind of missed it. You have no idea how Badass and sexy he was when he- oh, Geez, honey. I'm sorry." Laurie's face was green. "Anyway…in order for you to really understand him, I think it's time for you to learn some of the family history."

Stiles pulled out an enormous family album, a different volume than the one with all of their baby pictures.

He flipped through it until he found a large family photo. The only person Laurie recognized was her Dad, at an unbelievable fifteen or sixteen years of age. It was hard to imagine him that young.

"Who are they? Obviously they're Dad's family, but how come I never heard about them?"

Stiles named each of the figures in the photo, along with their relationships. "You never heard about them because they died in a fire set by Kate Argent…your Uncle Chris' sister. Please don't bring her up to him. He's still touchy."

Stiles flipped to a page that contained a newspaper clipping describing her death and role in the arson. Laurie found herself chilled by the empty gaze in the dead woman's face.

"The only survivors were your Dad, and his sister Laura…the new Alpha. I wonder sometimes if the reason why you guys were so close is that you remind him so much of her…it must be like having her back in a way." Stiles flipped to a photo of her, and Laurie was shocked at the resemblance between them.

"And this…is his Uncle Peter." Another picture of a smiling man with his arms around his brother and sister-in-law.

"Peter survived the fire, but was crippled for six years before his healing factor caught up to the damage. I can't imagine what it was like for him. Anyway, some murders began happening in town, and Uncle Scott got bitten. As his best friend, I tried to help him out…then we ran into your Dad, who wanted to find out who killed his sister. It turned out that Peter had become an Alpha by tricking Laura into coming to see him…and killing her to get her power. He also killed all the people who had a role in the fire, including Kate at the end of everything. He bit Scott to have a Pack to help him, though he regretted that decision early on. Uncle Scott is such a lousy werewolf."

Stiles laughed a little, but Laurie could see the tears coming down his cheeks.

"Your Dad lost everyone in his life. He had to kill Peter, his own uncle, which made him the Alpha. After that, he was so afraid to reach out to anybody… because the pain of loss was something he couldn't bear to feel anymore. He wouldn't turn me because of the risk, and I understood…though it always felt like it was a club I wasn't allowed to join. Your Dad is putting a lot of pressure on you to train, because he worries that you'll get hurt if you don't master it…or that you'll hurt someone else which could lead to all sorts of unpleasant consequences for our whole family. He would die defending you, Laurie. He would kill to protect you. I would too…and that was the case long before your Dad ever bit me. Those feelings _never_ change. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Laurie nodded, her throat had closed and she was quite unable to speak.

"Well, you make your own decisions about things, and you make them in your own time. I'm going to have a talk with him, and tell him to lay off your training until you feel you're ready for it. You didn't ask for any of this." He folded the album and put it away.

Laurie gave him a hug. "Don't worry about it. I think I _am_ ready to train with him. Tell him I won't give him such a hard time about shifting tomorrow…but I won't go easy on him! He just better _bring it._"

Stiles laughed out loud. "He wouldn't expect any less."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N – Thanks again to the awesome reviewers who make my day…especially LowlifeTheory, ThePhoenixFalls, agentdouble0negative2, Obfuscator's Canard, Blooboy70, Omega696 for his great idea about 'Uncle Jackson's advice', StoryLover158 and all the others. If I become a werewolf, you are all TOTALLY in my Pack. For those people who like this story, good news…I really feel like I could write it forever.**_

Laurie took the photo album to her room, idly flipping through it while she waited for her father and brother to return home. She found individual shots of some of the members of the group photo, and the two that intrigued her the most were the pictures of Laura for whom she was named, and her grandmother Diana. But for their dark eyes, Laurie bore a powerful resemblance to them, and she wished she could have met these women and learned how they dealt with being what they were. The picture of her grandmother looking so…_powerful_ and serene there in the great hall of the old Hale house…which was now the new Hale house… made her shudder every time she glanced at it. Laurie looked around and felt cold at the thought that a great many family members had been killed quite painfully in this very space simply for being what they were. She hoped they were at peace. Behind Diana, impossibly young and already with a trace of his legendary temper marring his features… was her father. What could they have been thinking when that photo was taken? What was it like growing up in a house where you knew from birth that you were part of a separate and powerful race, spoken of in legends and portrayed in horror films, and hunted by humans who could be even more soulless than the beasts that lived within them?

The picture of Laura was even more haunting. She was a teenager, perhaps a year older than Laurie at the time. She was smiling seductively at the camera, likely already aware of the power her beauty would give her over the men and women around her. She was leaning against a tree in the forest, her dark hair fanning out slightly in what must have been a strong wind. A heart carved into the tree bore the sigils 'L.H. &', but the initials of her romantic interest were obscured by the flowing mane of hair. She had been in love, and someone had been in love with her…before she had been snuffed out like a match, by her own uncle. Before that happened, she had given her brother the inestimable gift that gave Laurie and Erik a chance at life…seemingly not a moment too soon.

The tale of Peter had chilled her. The laughing man in the photo had killed Laura, because the lust for revenge had turned him into a monster…even while he was in human form. Laurie gave a small disgusted cry and flipped almost to the end of the book. Surprisingly, there were baby pictures in here. With a gasp, she realized they were of Pop as a small child. A dark haired woman appeared in every one, sometimes with Grandpa Stilinski present as well…younger and happier than she had ever seen him, it made her heart swell to know that Pop had been so loved as a child, in a normal human family. The next page was the obituary detailing her grandmother's death; Stella Stilinski, taken from us too soon…

Laurie shut the album with a snap. Tragedy stalked humans _and_ werewolves, it seemed. Why couldn't people just be allowed to live and be happy? She shoved the album under her bed, her heart too heavy to look at it anymore just now. The thing that really bothered her, the thing that she had not been able to tell even her family…was that in just the few fleeting moments she had allowed herself to shift, to give in to the wolf inside her, she found herself (_completely_ against her will) almost starting to like it…

"I AM who I am, and I'll always be me." she whispered to herself. She chanted it a few more times, almost like it was a magic spell. None of them seemed to get it; it was like being at the top of a long and winding slippery slope. Once you started down, there was no going back…and who knew _what_ you would be when you reached the bottom?

The front door opened just as she caught the familiar odors of Derek and Erik…she snickered to herself at how dorky that sounded as she went out to greet them. Such similar names, and yet the two of them were polar opposites. Dad was a total chick (and dude) magnet while her brother…

She stopped and stared, her mouth an 'O' of horror. Pop had turned to look as well and promptly fell off his chair, the printed spread sheets in his hand flying through the air.

Erik usually wore brown loafers, khaki pants and an endless line of short-sleeved plaid button-down shirts whose colors attracted the eye of every bully between here and Red Falls. No doubt if he had been human, he would have needed glasses as well.

Now he wore snug high-end jeans and black leather shoes, complemented by a gray Henley t-shirt…and a new leather jacket. His hair (previously unkempt and shaggy until he eventually lost patience trying to control it and had it close cropped like Pop) was now cut and styled just like Dad's complete with an overabundance of product. He looked like such a miniature Derek that the urges to laugh and scream briefly and furiously warred with each other within Laurie before cancelling out completely.

"Oh my God…" Laurie and Pop breathed at the same time.

To his credit, Erik did look a little red-faced with nervousness. The girls were going to start flinging themselves at him like lemmings off of a cliff (followed no doubt by more than a few boys)…but it might be a while before he realized it.

"Derek…if this was you're idea…" Pop began to growl, eyes lighting up.

"Sty, he told me he wanted a new look. Why not use what works?" Derek flashed a too-wide grin at Stiles, which immediately put him on guard. Erik looked (and smelled) really nervous. They were totally hiding something.

"_What?_" Stiles grated, his ears beginning to point. Derek's grin faltered, and he began to look a little nervous too.

"Well, Sty, the kids _are_ going to be sixteen tomorrow…and after the last few weeks and everything they've been through, well, I thought…" Stiles was going more and more Beta while his husband stalled for time.

"Dad bought us a car!" Erik yelled out bluntly.

"Oh for the love of…I thought we said we would wait…they've only just finished their Driver Education and Training courses!"

"I know, but come on Sty, you had a car at their age! They've had their permits for six months, this is the time to do it!" Derek argued.

Stiles couldn't believe this was the same Derek talking that he woke up with this morning. "I was in a single parent home with a father that spent maybe three hours a week away from his office so that he could support us! I _needed_ a car, and earned every penny to buy it! Geez. I hope you bought them something sensible and safe that they can't go off drag-racing in…" Stiles went to the window and groaned. Laurie joined him a moment later, and squealed despite herself.

Dad had bought them a new Camaro, black and shining like night itself. The new models had engines that would make the Batmobile seem like a tricycle with bent wheels. It could probably drive straight up a wall.

Grandpa Stilinski walked in a moment later and handed two sets of keys to his grandchildren.

"Son, I just want to let you know I was against this!" the older man put up his hands and backed away after one look at his growling offspring.

"You're guilty by association. Derek…you are in soooo much trouble later, if you know what I mean."

Derek grinned. "I'm okay with that." Everyone else groaned. "Come on, don't be mad. How often do people get lucky enough to have such wonderful kids that deserve to be a little spoiled now and then?" Derek approached and gave his mate a hug (once he was sure Stiles wouldn't unzip his guts with an irritable swipe of his claws), and Stiles eventually shifted back and gave Derek a kiss on his cheek.

"You're still in trouble. And you two!" Stiles whirled to face his kids, causing Derek to stumble backwards and almost crash through a window. "One minute past curfew, one speeding ticket, one grade lower than a 'B' or one trip to 'Make-Out' point with whatever losers you two decide to go on a date with, and that thing goes straight to the junkyard! I better not hear one single argument about who gets to drive it either! You learn to share or you do without! Am I clear?"

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall." Derek muttered. Stiles elbowed him viciously.

"Don't worry Pop, we'll be responsible!" Laurie said excitedly, unable to tear her gaze away from the window. Erik might be all leather jacketed and Badass, but he cared as much about muscle cars as he did about skydiving. If he had any desire to do more than simply look cool while sitting in the parking lot at school, she'd eat her hat. Laurie absolutely could not _wait_ to get behind that steering wheel and go tearing off through the back roads of Beacon Hills, preferably with Erik in the trunk.

As if reading her mind, Stiles warned her "Grandpa is going to be putting the word out that you are not to receive any second chances for traffic violations, and I am to be notified immediately so that I can have the tow truck ready!"

Laurie folded her arms and frowned at him. "All right Pop, don't blow a gasket! Let us actually _break_ the rules before you scream at us, okay?"

"Yeah Pop, and c'mon…we've never really gotten in serious trouble before…we've been pretty good as far as kids go, haven't we?" Erik's still kind of nerdy sounding voice coming from his WB actor face made Laurie smirk.

Stiles calmed down and thought for a minute. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. It was just a bit much with the clothes, and the jacket and the car and the gel…kids, you know I'll love you no matter _how_ you comb your hair." He sighed, sitting down heavily in his desk chair. "I guess you two are growing up. God, this isn't fair. These milestones shouldn't hurt so much." Grandpa Stilinski gave him an understanding look.

Derek stood behind him and wrapped his arms around his mate.

"Sty, the best parts haven't happened yet. I can't wait to see what they'll do, where they'll go, what they'll make of themselves. Besides, one day there will be grandchildren...(here he Alpha-Glared at the kids, who gulped nervously)…_AT SOME POINT FAR IN THE FUTURE!_"

Stiles brightened up immediately at the thought. "Only you could find the one thing to say that would make me feel better! All right, we'll start the kid's mandatory 50 hours of driving with licensed adults so they can take their road tests. There's two of us and there's two cars so we can teach them how to drive at the same time…"

"I already have way more than 50 hours, Pop." Laurie said unthinkingly. Derek turned red. "Oops, sorry Dad." Stiles Glared at his mate.

"Just when I thought I was out of the dog house…" Derek sighed.

"How about you Erik, has Dad been giving you secret driving lessons too?" Stiles asked.

Erik snorted derisively. "Of course not. I've been familiar with the workings of the internal combustion engine since I was eight. The combustion of a fuel, normally a fossil fuel, occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber when the expansion of the high temperature and high pressure gases produced apply direct force to the engine's components. The force is applied typically to pistons, turbine blades or a nozzle and moves the component over a distance, transforming chemical energy into mechanical energy. The first internal combustion engine was created by Etienne Lenoir-"

"I don't think you need to worry about Erik winding up at 'Make-Out Point' any time soon Pop…or early grandchildren either." Laurie said, punching her brother in the arm to get him to shut up.

"Terrific. All right, Derek while you train Laurie I'll teach Erik how to drive…" (Here Erik sputtered.) "…from a _practical_ perspective. But I swear if I find out any more secrets today, I'll rip all your…" he trailed off, a smirk coming to his face.

"And at last, you understand." Derek said smiling.

"I guess I do. Kids, I apologize in advance for any head-slams I give you in the future."

{}{}{}{}

The training and driving lessons were rough for both teenagers. For all his textbook knowledge, the Camaro's engine seemed to be trying to escape Erik's hideous torture through suicide from the noises it made when he was behind the wheel. If Stiles were still able to get gray hair, he would have had a mop of it by the time Erik gained enough proficiency to take his road test. And while Derek had Laurie's cooperation as far as getting her to try and shift, her wolf required enormous prodding to come out and then was always quick to fade away, sometimes in the middle of combat. Scott started joining in on their sessions; he probably had the hardest time controlling his shift of any of the others. He fed her some of the tips and tricks he'd learned over the years, and gradually they began to make progress.

"Thank you for helping out, Scott." Derek breathed, wiping the sweat and blood from his chest with a towel after Laurie had gone inside. "I just wish I knew why the things you tell her work, and the things I tell her don't."

Scott looked at him sympathetically. "You don't get her. You were born this way, but I was bitten. Being a werewolf was a fact of your life, but it ruined mine and now it's ruining hers. She hates it, Derek…just like I did. You don't know what it's like to hate a part of yourself; it's no wonder her wolf doesn't want to come out. Until she makes peace with this…and that's not something that you can ever _ever _force!...she's just going to have to try harder than the rest of us."

"But with you, the wolf was always coming out! With Laurie…we can hardly get her to shift at all." Derek put his face in his hands.

"She's different than I was. Derek…I had a lot of weakness and insecurity as a kid. The wolf was so much _stronger_ than me, and I…wanted it to come out and solve my problems for me. To gain control, I had to _become_ stronger, and that took a lot of work. Laurie, on the other hand, is incredibly strong. _She's never needed anything the wolf can give her!_ It doesn't come out because deep down, she doesn't _want_ it to and she's quite capable of forcing it away. You're trying to get her to let go, to _give in_ to it a little more…and that is totally against her nature. Laurie has a long road in front of her…unless you can teach her to _like_ being what she is, to accept it as just another part of her. I did, eventually."

Derek looked at him, this Beta who had come so far from being the scared and angry teenage brat he was to the powerful werewolf he always had the potential to be. "Thanks. I'm going to figure out a way to make this work. I owe you."

"Remember that when I send Christine over to your 'Werewolf Hogwarts'." Scott laughed.

{}{}{}{}

Laurie was able to take her road test a week before Erik could schedule his, and so was the first one to drive them to school. Erik was exuding a pretty strong fear smell over his new cologne. She looked over at him and noticed he was starting to hyperventilate while sweat poured from his forehead.

"Laurie, the kids are going to laugh at me. They're not going to stand by and let me stop being treated like a nerd. They're going to take one look at me and shove me savagely back down into Nerd-dom."

Laurie shook her head. "First off, people only think of you as weak when they can tell you already think it about yourself. You can't be afraid, Erik…or the thing you're afraid of will happen. You've got to 'own' this whole new image thing, or they will take it from you. Remember what Dad said about Pack Hierarchy. You can't be an Omega! Meet their eyes, and then try to burn through the backs of their heads with the Glare. Think hard that you'd rip them apart if they gave you any crap. I'm telling you they'll sense it and back off. Dad's totally right about this. Besides, unless the past month has been a dream, I seem to remember that you're a bloodthirsty werewolf! You really CAN rip people apart! You shouldn't, because it would get us in trouble and Pop would probably take away the car…" She expected him to laugh, but he remained silent. "What?" she asked.

"I want people to _like_ me, not be afraid of me. They already back away from me because I'm smart. I look like Dad, but I'm not him and that trick wouldn't work for me, not the way I want."

"Some people will always test you. You have to know when to fight and when to be cool. If they start with you, teach them a lesson. If they respect you, be friendly. If they betray your trust, its 'lesson' time again. You can _show_ people how to behave around you."

"You may have something, kind of like the principle of Operant Conditioning, which is-"

Laurie punched him in the arm.

"Ow! Okay, I'll try it." He opened the door and got out. Heads were already turning at the sight of the black muscle car actually parked at the school and not just dropping them off. Some of the kids who had seen their Dad turned away dismissively, only to whip their heads back when they realized who they were looking at. A few kids were openly discussing his entrance and pointing. Erik fought the urge to tremble and shake.

"Remember the Glare! Don't kill anybody!" Laurie hissed from the car.

Erik composed his features and adjusted his Glare. He walked slowly towards the school building while Laurie waited in the car. She would follow him in a few minutes so he could do this on his own. He made it as far as the front steps when the first comment was thrown his way.

"What happened? Plaid go out of style? Or do they make pocket protectors for leather jackets now?" Anson Cooper was the new head of the Bully Totem Pole with Jimmy Porlock enjoying the sunny beaches of Florida (with the surviving half of his parents). Dad had talked about this; Anson was trying to assert dominance before his Pack. Winning an encounter against a weak creature gave the illusion of strength to others. Erik had to take his little victory away from him. He took a deep breath and focused his eyes directly on Anson's, imagining Superman's heat lasers blasting right through the kid's head. Anson's eyes widened…and Erik got a distinct sniff of nervousness.

"Hey Anson. You know, when I threw you head-first into that car, I was really worried… about the _car._ Next time I'll make sure it's something a lot harder. When you're tired of your brains being all cooped up on the _inside _of your head…you just come find me."

Two kids standing nearby gave an impressed snicker. Erik was glad of the three hours he spent on the Internet finding and memorizing lists of threats. There were websites for everything these days.

"You wander into your Daddy's wardrobe and think you can mouth off to me, you little punk?" It was bizarre to hear the hostile voice come from someone who smelled so nervous. Anson was unsure of himself…and bordering on being afraid.

"New look, new rules. Stay out of my way." Erik turned around and started to walk away, really thinking he had scored a point for himself. He stopped dead in his tracks at Anson's next comment.

"Maybe tomorrow, you'll go in your other Dad's closet and show up in a dress!"

About six kids laughed, and Erik felt that intangible tide of peer opinion begin to swing away from him again. He didn't need to compose his Glare when he turned around. He was freaking _furious._

He walked back over to Anson, not caring if his eyes happened to be glowing. His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest as the rage built up in him, but he had a good enough sense of it now to know that he wasn't going to shift…just yet. He thought how great it would be if they were outside school right now…maybe deep in the Hale woods, where no one could hear Anson scream…

Erik shivered slightly…that thought had bubbled up from deep inside him. The wolf was awake and getting its bearings. Any second now it was going to push through. He wondered if he cared.

"Take it back. Apologize right now. Or…" something seemed to be trying to break through the door to his subconscious.

"Or what?" Anson asked. He sensed Erik's reluctance to get into it here at school. He became sure of himself again.

Erik reached out a hand, and with one finger shoved Anson a good three feet backward to crack his head into a stone support pillar, sinking to the floor. He moaned and rubbed his head, perhaps remembering the earlier injury. Erik kneeled down before him and was pleased when Anson shrank back, hitting his head again. He gave a small whine of fear when Erik whispered softly right in his ear.

"Or I'll rip your throat out. With my teeth." That threat was found nowhere on the Internet, but at that moment he meant every word of it. His pulse thundered even more loudly in his ears. The wolf was at the door…it was so close, so _very_ close…

"All right man, I'm sorry! Geez, learn how to take a joke!" Anson got up and walked away quickly.

A few kids clapped, and one or two even cheered. Erik's breathing began to slow down as he stood, and he felt the wolf fade back into its lair…though it remained watchful.

Erik smelled the scent of the school principal a moment before a hand gripped his shoulder, and he was turned around a little more forcefully than he liked.

"Young man, I just saw what…Erik? What are you all dressed up like your…well, never mind! I just saw you shove Anson Cooper!"

"_I barely touched him_." Erik growled at the older man. Erik took a menacing step towards the principal, who backed up three. "But if you like, I'll call my fathers. Mr. Hale can be right in your office in just a few minutes, and you can explain to him in person why my shoulder kind of hurts where you grabbed me…I wonder what he would _do_ if I told him you put your hands on me…"

Mr. Woodard paled despite himself. "W-well, th-there's no need to go into all of that. I'll l-let it go this time. Just w-watch yourself in the future!" Woodard turned around and fled back to his office. Erik thought he must be hearing things when he heard an actual round of applause from the other gathered kids.

Maybe High School wasn't the seventh layer of Hell after all.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N – I have a running plotline to this that I've been meaning to develop, but I was actually just having too much fun writing about day to day stuff. Also, there are requests for some Stiles moments, and I aim to please so they will definitely be included.**_

"All I'm saying, is that although you've been around werewolves almost your whole life, now that you _are_ one you're going to need some training too!" Derek and the rest of the Pack had gathered to convince Stiles that this was necessary; but while he appreciated the effort, no one was volunteering to run his household errands for him while he wasted all of this time. The cleaning, shopping, laundry and bill-paying could not be accomplished any faster with wolfy super-powers.

"Der, I am already the very Yoda of Lycans. I researched them for years, and managed to tell even _you_ things that you didn't know. Hell, I trained Scott when he first got turned, and it was pretty awesome teaching if I do say so myself. _I know everything about us!_"

Derek and Scott were shaking their heads. "Can you tell us one thing about werewolves you _didn't_ learn in a book?" Scott asked.

"Yes. They tend to be total slobs."

Derek ground his teeth. "I mean about changing, about fighting, about _using your abilities_. If our Pack is ever attacked, which will always be a very real possibility, I need to know that you can take care of yourself and everyone else."

Stiles pouted and kicked a small rock with his shoe. "Is this _really_ necessary?" he whispered to himself. He looked off into the distance, and even Derek couldn't tell what might be going through his mind.

"Fine. I'm just going to have to show you, aren't I?" Stiles sighed. The Pack all nodded warily.

"All right. Test me. But let me give you a small piece of advice: I don't want to hurt any of you, so _don't… hold… back_!" He folded his arms, and gave them a Glare that made Derek's worst seem like a myopic squint. His opponents all took an involuntary step back.

"Um…okay. First Lesson. You'll fight me, Scott, Jackson and Danny. Shift and attack, right now!" Derek ordered, a little nervously.

Stiles closed his eyes and opened them a second later, a hellish amber glow replacing his usual chocolate brown. He whipped his hands to the sides, and the claws shot to their full length. A deep reverberating growl came from a suddenly fang encrusted mouth.

"Holy shit-" Jackson muttered.

Stiles launched himself forward onto all fours, and in two loping bounds was plowing into Derek - who was so surprised and caught off guard that he hadn't shifted at all. Scott was a little quicker on the draw, and whipped his claws through the space Stiles' head occupied a second before. There was a tap on Scott's shoulder and he whirled around only to have Stiles slam his arm into his mid-section with the force of a wrecking ball. Scott flew backward, and his body crashed into Jackson. Their heads clunked together like coconuts, and they fell to the ground in a tangled heap. Derek was still lying on the floor dazed and human when Danny attacked his rampaging mate. Stiles grabbed Danny's shirt in his clawed hands, planted his foot in Danny's stomach and fell backward, launching a surprised Danny though the air to land on Derek's chest and knocking the wind out of both of them. Scott and Jackson were unconscious, and Danny was roughly turned over by a snarling Stiles who pressed his thumb claws into both his and Derek's neck, a hair away from severing their jugulars with a simple push.

"Yield or die!" he growled at them. There seemed to be no trace of the Stiles they knew in the glowing eyes.

"Sty! It's me!" Derek shouted.

Danny's eyes were wide and terrified. "Chill out, man! You got us, it's over!"

A blink later, and Stiles' eyes were chocolate brown once again. "Okay, next test?" He stood up and jogged over to where Allison, Lydia and Ted were serving up some bottled water. The whole ordeal had taken less than a minute.

Danny stood up and brushed himself off, groaning at the pain in his chest and limbs. He tried unsuccessfully to rouse Scott and Jackson who were out for the count.

Derek just lay there, and tried to fit this impression of Stiles into the memories of the past twenty years. It just didn't work. Stiles walked back over and sat next to him, handing him a bottle.

"Can I ask where in HELL you learned how to do that?" Derek coughed out when his breath started to come back.

"I think it was in the 'Liber Benandanti'. 'The Alpha is the most powerful form of werewolf, but its one weakness is the necessarily longer period of time it takes to transform. In any battle with a werewolf Pack, the Alpha should be taken out quickly and if possible while still in human form. This will demoralize the rest of the Pack and weaken them, sapping them of both strength and speed.' Don't feel bad, Der. If you had the chance to change, you would have _totally_ kicked my ass."

Derek tried to ignore the little skip in Stiles' heartbeat at that last part. "You sounded just like Erik going off on one of his tangents. Remind me never to underestimate book-learning again."

{}{}{}{}

"Learning from books sucks." muttered Laurie. "I'd rather be out there, _doing_ stuff. Like breaking laws of physics with our car! I bet I could soup up that engine and turn it into a _real_ monster!" she said wistfully, looking out of the window of the school library.

"Then it would probably hide in the garage and not talk to anybody, and moan 'Why me? My life is ruined!' over and over again." It was pretty rude, but Erik always got that way when he was trying to concentrate. He had little patience with Laurie on the best days. Now he was reading a leather bound volume he'd 'borrowed' from his father's book case, hoping to become as expert on werewolf lore as he was on everything else…maybe even as good as Pop. As such, he was giving it all the concentration he could spare.

Laurie gave him a sour look. A quick glance around the library made her smile mischievously. "You keep your nose in that book, and you'll never figure out why Amy and Clarissa Barton keep staring at you."

Erik looked up, his concentration whipping away. He looked around for the Barton twins. Laurie stomped on his foot.

"Ow! What the hell did you do that for?" he growled.

"Don't stare! They're sitting by the computers in the corner." she hissed.

Erik nonchalantly stretched and yawned, looking towards the computer desks as he did so. He caught the eyes of the girls in question, who both giggled and turned away.

"I wish I could hear what they were saying." he said dreamily.

"You're kidding me, right?" Laurie gave him a withering look.

"Oh! Yeah right."

Concentrating, he focused on his hearing the way his Dad taught him, until the general noise level in the room seemed to get louder. Sorting through the babble of voices, he managed to single out the ones he wanted until the rest faded into the background.

"…him look over at us! I bet he comes over! I still can't believe how different he looks, or how tough everybody says he is now! He's definitely got some muscle too, look at the way that t-shirt fits! I told you, Amy it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for! If he was on one of the varsity teams, I'd totally go out with him! But you can't get away with dating these loner types anymore…"

Erik let his hearing return to normal and went back to his book.

"What happened?" asked Laurie, bursting with curiosity. She was unwilling to call on her wolf even the little bit required to sharpen her hearing. Erik looked at her irritably.

"I'm not cool enough to go out with them. Apparently I have to play a sport and run around beating my chest with the other gorillas. The anthropological implications of these mating rituals are staggering-"

Laurie shoved him practically off his chair. "Do you _ever_ want to lose your virginity? I thought that was every guy's A-1 priority!"

"I just don't believe in wasting time. If a girl wants me for some status/popularity thing, then the odds are a thousand to one she's not right for me. Besides, my wolf will tell me when I've met the right one. I like girls, but for all I know, I could be into guys and not even realize it."

Laurie stared at him. "You're going to let your _wolf_ decide who and WHAT you date? Erik, that's crazy!"

"Is it? Our fathers have been together over 20 years, and they love each other as much as they did the day they got married. Both of them dated girls before they met each other, and those relationships turned out to be disasters. I won't rule anything out; if my wolf says 'that one's _the _one', then I'm going for it. I don't care who it is." He went back to his book.

"All I'm saying, is that you may have a hard time getting your 'true love' to look at you twice if you don't start acting a bit more…" she bit her tongue just a bit too late.

"You were going to say 'normal', weren't you? Laurie Hale, the girl who does everything the opposite of what people expect of her, is telling me I've got to be like everybody else?" Erik looked on the point of getting up and storming off. She put her hand gently on his arm, keeping him in his chair.

"Yes…because look where my individuality has gotten me. I'm alienated from my family, and in case you haven't noticed _my_ door isn't exactly being broken down by friends and boyfriends either. If you want to 'get a little', you have to give a little."

Erik looked at her sadly. It was ironic really that their problems always seemed to be mirror images of each other. "Tell you what. I'll try out for a sport if you…just for _one day_…let go and have some fun with your wolf. Just give it a shot. I know how you feel about it, and I respect your opinion…but you're making hasty judgments with no information, and really cheating yourself out of an amazing experience. What do you say?"

Laurie wished she had just kept her big mouth shut and let Erik read his damned book. She really painted herself into a corner this time. If she refused, he was off the hook as well from all her prodding. If she agreed, he would have a better shot at having a real relationship…while she might turn down a path from which there was no return. Whose happiness was more important…her own or her brother's?

She opened her mouth to answer, sending the neural signals that would produce the word 'no'.

"Fine. I'll do it." she said instead, surprising them both.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles was finally allowed to return to his daily errands while the Pack went home to recover from their ordeal.

Allison and Lydia had sent him into the woods with one tool of his choice and given him three hours to set something up that would prevent them from capturing him. He could use anything in the environment, but nothing man-made besides the tool. Stiles took along a small hand saw and went off whistling. Three and a half hours later, Stiles was lowering a makeshift trapdoor lid (he'd crafted it out of Mountain Ash branches and wolfsbane) over a natural pit containing two furious female werewolves.

Ted and Danny elected to walk home after his 'Tracking' test so as not to smell up their car. Stiles had led them on a merry chase through the forest, looping back at hyper speed and leading them in circles until they finally caught up with him…or so they thought…and pounced on a suspicious looking mound buried under a pile of leaves. It turned out Stiles had ditched his clothing, using it to plug up the entrance to the den of some small animal. When they yanked the clothing free, one very pissed off skunk emerged and gave the two werewolves a good spraying. Shrieking at the trauma to their sensitive noses, the two ran back to the house to rage at Derek before taking off. Derek's crimson eyes could have put Rudolph the Reindeer's nose to shame. He stalked around in a transport of rage and waited for his mate to return.

Stiles, master of strategy that he was, walked back to the house wearing only his camouflage boxers which made Derek completely forget what he was about to scream at his mate for. This led to a much briefer chase, since Stiles _wanted _to be caught this time, and Derek found other ways to work out his aggression.

Jackson, perhaps wisest of all, simply played a round of five-card stud poker with Stiles, and lost only a negligible fifty dollars in cash. Then he went off with a newly awakened (but still groaning) Scott to find their wives and get away from the scariest werewolf of them all.

Stiles put in a fresh load of laundry, washed the remaining dishes in the sink and began to make preparations for dinner when Derek came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him tightly, kissing him on the back of the neck.

"That feels fantastic, Der. But you've put me really behind schedule today. There's a five pound bag of Yukon-Gold potatoes that is just begging to be peeled and cut up."

"You made me really proud of you, today. At first I was mad…but then I realized you're the perfect partner for an Alpha. Even after twenty years, I'm _still_ finding out how perfect you are."

Stiles grinned. "How long do you think it'll be before the Pack forgives me?"

"I think it's more of an 'If' thing then a 'When'. I'm sorry I underestimated you." Derek pulled him closer, as if afraid he would leave.

"Derek, you had no way of knowing-"

"That's not what I mean. I never stopped looking at you as a kid that had to be protected from everything, most of all himself. I always held you back, trying to take on all the toughest challenges, like you were incapable of handling anything serious on your own. It's…part of the reason I never wanted to turn you. You can never be sure someone will survive…but I also wasn't sure you'd be able to handle it. That was so wrong of me…when I think back on everything you survived, I can't imagine I didn't see how tough you were. If I had it to do over again, knowing what I know now…I'd still keep you human, because now I'm afraid of what I've unleashed."

Stiles chuckled. "Thanks. It's nice to hear you say it. I never felt I had to prove myself to you, though. And it was kind of nice not having to fight so hard for everything with you around…to be _taken care of_ for a change. I can't be mad at you for not seeing something I deliberately hid…God Lydia and I were so much alike. Let's just call it even. That is, if you get started on the potatoes."

Derek gave him another kiss and then grabbed the first potato out of the bag. Extending a claw, he quickly spun the potato around and skinned it in one long winding strip.

{}{}{}{}

At 3:00, school let out and Laurie accompanied Erik over to the bulletin board that had the sign-up sheets for all of the school's sports teams. Erik scanned them, trying to figure out which one he would be able to tolerate the most.

"Basketball?" suggested Laurie.

"No."

"Lacrosse?"

"God, no. Then I'll have Uncle Scott and Uncle Jackson all over me. Maybe Tennis?"

"No one goes to the Tennis matches. Baseball?"

"Maybe. Football, no…Hockey, no…Soccer?"

"Stick to baseball. It's popular without being too aggressive. If you're getting shoved around a lot on a field, you'll flip out and kill someone. Then it's bye-bye car."

Erik scrawled his name on the sheet, then had a sudden thought. "Maybe I should just sign up for track instead…"

He went to cross out his name when Coach Fenton, who was also in charge of Erik's personal torture in P.E., happened to walk by. Noticing Erik, he squinted at the sheet.

"Hale? You trying out for baseball? Great, your Dad finally taught you how to play! He was one of the best players the school ever had, we were on the same team together a hundred years ago, it seems now. Come to think of it, anybody in your family that played a sport was a star. There was your Uncle Peter, who played Hockey and won us the championship, your Dad's sister Laura who won all those Track and Gymnastics medals…"

"My Dad played baseball?" Erik asked incredulously.

"Laura Hale was on the Gymnastics team?" asked Laurie.

Coach Fenton looked back and forth between them. "Yeah…I guess I can see why you don't know much about them, with…what happened and all. Erik, why do you want to try out if not because of your Dad? You never really seemed interested in sports at all before."

"Um…I guess I'm just trying to have the, um…whole, well-rounded…high school experience. Yeah." Erik's face turned red while he stammered.

"Well, tryouts are tomorrow, I look forward to seeing you there. Tell your Dad the game misses him. Or maybe I'll give him a call and have him come and see you! If you're half as good, the team is definitely going to make the finals! Boy, this made my day! See you then!" He left them, whistling 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game'.

"Okay, this is a disaster. And _who_ do I have to thank for it?" Erik turned a yellow-eyed Glare on his sister.

"Oh, get over it Nerd-Boy." she snapped, signing her name on the sheet for Gymnastics.

{}{}{}{}

The call came when the family was just getting up from the dinner table. Erik and Laurie started on the dishes while Stiles cleaned off the table. Derek picked up the phone, and within minutes was laughing and joking with his old teammate. Then his face got serious.

"Erik wants to play baseball? You're kidding me! No, I really haven't…I mean, you know with my business and all…yeah, I'll definitely come see him tomorrow! Pointers? I'm not sure there's much I can teach him…I've never really seen him play! Well, yeah…we'll see. 3:30, I'll be there. Take care."

Derek hung up the phone. He turned to face his son, Glaring at him over folded arms.

"Erik Steven Hale, can you come in here please?"

Erik put down the dish he was washing, and approached his father while biting his lip nervously.

"Yeah, Dad?" he asked.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"Oh, um…if you don't want me to play, I understand…I'll tell the Coach tomorrow that I've changed my mind…" Erik trailed off, feeling a sense of relief.

"Not want you to play? Son, I cannot tell you how happy you've made me! My dream when I left High School and had to give up the game was to someday have a son that I could teach and go to his games and take to professional playoffs and watch them on TV every weekend! I guess I just gave up on the idea when I saw you were more like St-…um more like the studious type. Yeah." Derek caught himself too late; Stiles gave him a yellow-eyed Glare.

"I insisted your Dad not push you into anything you're not ready for. Erik, is this something you really want to do?"

Knowing that they would all be able to hear a lie, Eric said (quite truthfully) "I'll know more after I give it a shot."

Derek whooped for joy, and gave Erik one of those tight whirl-you-around-hugs he used to give Laurie all the time. Erik felt dizzy when his Dad put him down.

"I signed up for Gymnastics!" Laurie said suddenly.

Derek looked at her. "Really? That's amazing, it was Laura's favorite thing too. I already know you'll be spectacular at it from the crazy things you do around here." He hugged her, but did not whirl her around. She tried not to think too much about it.

"I don't know, Derek. Our kids may have been replaced by evil alien duplicates." Stiles joked, finishing up in the kitchen.

"Well, good because I like these guys better." Derek went upstairs to shower.

Stiles looked after him and waited until he was out of earshot. "And this weekend, Mr. Hale, I am SO going to be kicking your ass at baseball."


	6. Chapter 6

When Erik stepped into the locker room to change into his new baseball uniform, he was startled to see Shawn Murphy there along with Anson Cooper. He had no idea they were on the team. They spotted him and turned away quickly, muttering. Erik could have listened in to their conversation, but he strongly suspected that it would set him off, so he didn't bother. A few of the other kids saw him, and sniggered under their breath, giving him amused looks. He ignored them (though his pulse had begun to beat a little faster) and picked a locker at random. He opened it, shoving his knapsack inside, and carefully hanging his leather jacket on one of the hooks. This was his first time in a team locker room, and he felt a little self-conscious as he pulled his shirt off. Having grown up with Pop's thin frame, he was a little embarrassed showing it in front of the kids who were more muscular during the living Hell that was Physical Education. Now though, he was on an even playing field. Heck, even Pop had gotten somewhat ripped since he was turned. Shawn and Anson, along with some of the other kids, were openly staring when he glanced at them. He tried to be nonchalant while desperately hoping his face wasn't burning red.

Anson slammed his locker shut, and stalked out of the locker room, leaving Shawn staring after him looking a little pissed. Erik pulled off his shoes and jeans and socks, before pulling on the rather itchy uniform. As he was lacing up his cleats, Shawn came over. Erik started growling low in his throat before catching himself. As Dad had informed them, with the full moon approaching, the wolf would be a lot closer to the surface than usual. They would actually have to be locked up for the night until they were able to get a handle on the sharp increase in aggression. For this reason, their birthday party had been postponed since the entire Pack would be on edge until after it was all over. Dad promised them they would celebrate this coming weekend. With the gift of the car, complaining was the last thing on either sibling's mind.

Shawn had an odd look on his face. Recalling Laurie's advice of playing nice until someone else played nasty, he merely said "What's up?" with just a hint of a warning Glare.

"Hey. Jimmy's gone, you know, and after what happened to his Dad… I decided to sit down and think about all the shit we pulled on you. I didn't really have a problem with you, but Jimmy had it in for you bad because of your…well, you know. Your Dads. I shouldn't have gone along with it, but Jimmy's been my friend since kindergarten. So, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not gonna mess with you anymore. And I'm kind of sorry about everything."

Erik felt uncomfortable; on the one hand, he really appreciated Shawn having the guts to apologize, especially since it pissed off Anson Cooper so much. Shawn was telling the truth, too. On the other hand, it made him angry that Shawn had no reason to join in on Erik's harassment aside from going along with Jimmy.

"You should be careful about what your so-called friends get you into. If Jimmy had left well enough alone, I wouldn't have put him in the hospital and my grandfather wouldn't have had to kill Mr. Porlock because he shot my father."

Erik leaned in close to Shawn, who backed up a few steps at the scowl on his face. "We could have _all_ been killed. I almost lost my father that night, and that asshole Porlock actually pointed his gun at my sister and I. You know what? I'm glad he's dead…but in my opinion, he got off easy with that bullet. If my Dad had gotten to him first, it would have been _slow_ and _painful_ and there would have been a _lot_ more screaming."

Erik continued to back Shawn up until the other boy hit the locker behind him.

"I accept your apology. But I am never going to give anyone who screws with me a second chance again. You can tell that to Anson. My days of taking his bullshit are _so fucking OVER!_" Erik slammed his fist into the locker next to Shawn's head, crumpling the metal door like aluminum foil.

"All right man! Chill out! I said I'm not gonna mess with you anymore!" Shawn practically shrieked. The other players in the locker room all turned to look, and fell silent at the drama playing out before them. Shawn looked terrified, and some of the other kids looked pretty scared too, even the bigger ones. None of them were laughing now.

Erik blinked rapidly a few times, and focused his mind on his calming image: the Van de Graaff generator in his room that he had gotten at Spencer's. Watching the lightning play about inside the sphere gave him a sense of child-like wonder that was at the root of his love for science. He had tinkered with the lightning ball (as Laurie called it) so that it would respond to the music he played on his stereo and sometimes just stared at it from his bed for an hour or two in a relaxing meditative state. In just a few seconds, the wolf impulses receded and he pulled away from Shawn.

"My turn to apologize. I'm having trouble controlling my temper lately." Erik rubbed his face, partially to make sure no Beta features were evident.

"Uh…no problem dude."

Erik stood aside, and Shawn practically ran from the locker room.

Moose Bradley came over and clapped him on the shoulder, almost making Erik stagger. "That was awesome, little dude. I have mad respect for a guy that stands up for himself. You trying out today?"

Erik looked up at the 6 foot 3 athlete, and was grateful that the wolf gave him the extra confidence to speak without stuttering. Moose had never given him a problem, but Erik felt pity for anyone the giant did set his sights on.

"Yeah. Never played before. I'll probably suck." he admitted.

Moose looked at the dented locker, and ran his fingers over the metal, whistling.

"You know, somehow I doubt that. I'll ask you this just the one time, and if the answer's yes, then don't take offense… I'm gonna ask you not to play. You taking anything? Anything at all that would explain this?"

Erik swallowed drily. "No. Just genetics. Um, I mean…late bloomer and all that."

Moose nodded. "Glad to hear it. I'm Captain of this team, and I really hope you make the cut. See you on the field. Moose walked out of the locker room, his bat on his shoulder. The other kids followed him out, most glancing back at Erik as they left. He closed and locked the locker and sat down on the bench. Every guy out there would be watching to see how he did. 'Way to go, Hale, nice job avoiding attention.' he thought to himself.

Sighing, he put his cap on and left the locker room and made his way out onto the field.

Erik glanced out over to the stands, and felt simultaneous dismay and joy. Both of his fathers were sitting there, waving excitedly at him. Laurie was there too, though she looked mildly upset for some reason. Erik sat on the bench with the other players, purposefully near the end to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

Coach Fenton bounded up. "Okay, today we're going to be seeing which of you has what it takes to be on the greatest High School baseball team in history: the Beacon Hills High Wolverines! Hale, you're up first!"

Erik looked up so quick, he almost gave himself whiplash. "Huh? Already?"

"Yeah, boy! Your Dad's here, and he's an old buddy! No reason making him wait to see his son follow in his footsteps! Let's have you pitch, first! Up on that mound!"

Coach Fenton herded Erik in the direction of the pitcher's mound. It suddenly occurred to Erik that he had no idea how to throw a ball, except from what he saw on television. Coach tossed him a baseball so suddenly that the wolf took over for a second and he snatched it from the air.

He arrived at the little mound and looked over at home plate. Moose Bradley was there, doing some practice swings. Erik looked at the ball in his hand. It seemed big and heavy, and ridiculously easy for someone to hit. Erik threw the ball awkwardly, overhand. It struck the ground midway between the mound and home plate, and rolled to Moose's feet. He looked down at it surprised, and a few of the boys laughed. The catcher flipped him the bird, and Erik realized it was Anson Cooper under the mask. Pop was gaping at him, and Derek was face-palming himself. Laurie was covering her mouth with her hands, no doubt trying to hold in shrieking laughter. Had the ground suddenly opened at his feet, he would have dived in gratefully. He could literally feel his face burning with embarrassment.

The coach retrieved the ball and jogged over to him.

"I'm sorry, son. You _did _say you never played before. Let me show you real quick how to throw this…you've just gotta whip your arm forward like that…that's it. If the pitch is fast, it's harder for the batter to hit, so give it all you've got. Ready to try again?"

Erik nodded. "Can I get a practice throw in before the real pitch?"

"Sure thing son. Moose! Practice throw, don't swing!" he called. Moose stepped back from the plate, leaving a direct line of view to Anson. The coach moved away as well.

Erik threw the ball the way the coach showed him, and it zipped straight down the line and neatly into Anson's mitt. It wasn't the fastest pitch by any means, but at least it went the full distance.

"Much better son. Maybe just a little harder next time. Ready?" Coach asked. An unmistakable look of disappointment was on his face. He was thinking that Erik obviously hadn't inherited his father's talent. Erik couldn't look over at the stands. He didn't want to see Dad's face. Moose moved back into position at home plate, while Anson tossed back the ball.

Knowing it was wrong, Erik closed his eyes and called up his trigger image: Jimmy, Anson and Shawn all leering and grinning and trying to gang up on him. Nothing was happening. His nervousness was preventing the image from being effective, especially since he knew he could demolish the bullies if he wanted. They were about as scary as a box of kittens now. He felt panic rising up in him, and became desperate. There was only one other option left. Hating himself, he thought deliberately on the night Hank Porlock had tried to murder his Pop. Before the image of Stiles lying there in a pool of blood had even completely formed in his mind…Erik felt it begin.

He looked down at the hand clutching the baseball, and watched new claws emerge and embed themselves in the hide. He felt the strength and power run cleanly through his body. The ball seemed tiny now, like a pebble. If he wanted to, he could crush it to powder. He turned glowing amber eyes on Moose Bradley, clicking the new fangs in his mouth together while he concentrated. He drew his arm back and snapped it forward. The ball flew from his hand and practically _whooooshed_ towards home plate. By the time Moose swung the bat, Anson had already been knocked backward into the chain link fence from the force of the pitch.

"YES! GO, ERIK! WOLVERINES RULE!" Dad screamed his head off from the stands, jumping up and down. Pop was shaking his head in disbelief, and Laurie's mouth was an 'O' of surprise. The other team members clapped, two of them whistling.

"Way to go, Hale!" two feminine voices screamed. Erik looked over at the stands and saw the Barton twins waving and cheering. Erik banished the wolf quickly as the coach came back and clapped him on the back before sending him to home plate to try out batting.

Erik walked over to Moose, who promptly stuck his bat into Erik's hands and trotted off to the mound.

"Okay son, even though this is practice, I'm gonna ask you to run the bases if you make a hit. Go as fast as you can, no matter what you hit even if you get tagged out. I need to see your speed so I know whether or not to let you steal during an actual game. Um, you want me to show you how to swing?"

"No, I've got it."

"Slow or fast?" Moose called out.

"Surprise me." Erik called back. Moose grinned. Erik repeated his trick from before, vowing that after today he would never step foot on a baseball field for as long as he lived. The bat nearly cracked in half, and the ball flew over the rear fence leaving its skin behind. Erik dropped the bat and tore around the bases. Forgetting to banish the wolf, the freaked out basemen jumped back from their positions as the yellow-eyed demon raced past them at top speed. Giving himself up as damned to hell regardless, he ended it by making a showy slide into home plate that raised a cloud of dust and left everyone hacking. Erik chanted 'lightning-ball, lightning-ball, lightning-ball' out loud and managed to banish the wolf before the dust cleared.

Dad and Pop were yelling and screaming, but they could still barely be heard over the cheering of the other boys who picked Erik up and whammed him on the back, congratulating him for the spectacular homer. Moose kept shouting "Man, that was so awesome!" Amy and Clarissa were screaming too, holding hands as they jumped up and down. Only Anson seemed upset, though he was now careful not to show it lest the whole team turn on him.

Coach Fenton almost had tears coming from his eyes. "You had a rough start Hale, but you killed that ball just like your Dad used to. You made the team, son! Love that name you picked out for yourself! Everyone, I give you Erik 'Lightning-Ball' Hale!"

"Oh no, he didn't." Erik muttered to himself. "Please tell me this is a horrible dream."

"_Lightning-Ball! Lightning-Ball! Lightning-Ball!"_ everyone chanted.

{}{}{}{}

Derek whisked them away after Erik was allowed to leave, and took them to their favorite high-end steak house, where as a family it seemed they ate an entire cow. Erik gratefully dug into his steak…shifting so much in so short a time had quadrupled his usual appetite. For once, Pop was able to indulge himself as well and ordered a second steak after the first was gone.

"Erik, that was fantastic to see. I blame myself for the slow start; I should have taught you before letting you out onto that field. The catcher actually _flew! _That was really your first time playing, wasn't it?" Derek's face was glowing with pride.

"Yeah, Dad. About that…"

"And oh my God! You _murdered_ that ball! They'll never find it! Way to go! Lightning-Ball! I love it! Ah, I wish I was back in High School sometimes. I have to get Joe Fenton to see if he can get the old gang together again so we can have a few games."

Erik was trying to figure out the best way to tell his Dad he never wanted to play again, but the thought of wiping that look of joy off of his face was more than Erik could bear. It would break his Dad's heart.

"Erik…what did you think? Did you like playing today?" Pop asked. Before Erik had a chance to answer, Derek exclaimed "I know he did! Did you see the way those girls were cheering him on? Maybe he should be allowed to go to Make-Out point, just once or twice…"

Stiles had an inkling that his son was not sharing Derek's passion for the game, and was intending to find out for sure so that he could talk Derek down from his cloud, but at the mention of the infamous spot where kids went to park, Stiles got completely distracted.

"No way! Remember those early grandchildren we were worried about? That might almost be preferable to the other possibility; Erik losing control and trying to eat his date! Derek, we really need to talk about these things before we let-"

Laurie interrupted them.

"There's something no one seems willing to mention. Erik _totally_ used the wolf to play! Isn't that cheating or something? Not to mention dangerous…"

Laurie looked at him defiantly, but right then Erik could have hugged her. Unintentionally, she had given him an 'out' that would let him quit the team without everyone getting upset. Well, except for the actual team.

"Laurie's right, Dad." he said, surprising her. "It's not fair that I have this advantage the other guys don't have."

Derek deflated a bit "Son, everybody is born with different levels of talent. There are plenty of players who can do what you did, and are completely human!"

"But Dad, they _worked_ at it, spending hours and days doing nothing but practice! All I have to do is piss myself off and suddenly I'm a pro!"

Derek shook his head. "Look at your memory and ability to learn things. Is it easy for you? Yes. Can other people do it? No, not everyone. I'm an _Alpha_, and I don't understand half the things you say sometimes. Son, it's like saying you should drop out of school because the work is easier for you than other students! Look at Laurie; she could put an arrow through a bird's eye and cartwheel from here to Red Falls if she wanted, all without the wolf's help. If she _did_ let the wolf out, she could probably try out for the Olympics. Or she could practice for months, and increase her ability the slow way. She'd get to the same _goal_ in the end though. The wolf only pushes you to the limits of your _own_ potential, which makes it completely fair. I know… it may seem like I'm putting a lot of pressure on you, but the real reason I was so happy today is because so many other people got to see you the way I see you; as my incredibly talented son."

Erik was silent. He didn't know how to respond.

"Erik, why did you sign up for the team?" Pop asked.

"I wanted people to look at me differently." Erik responded in a low voice.

"You got what you wanted, Lightning-Ball." Laurie muttered.

"Forget everything else for a moment. Did you _like_ playing?"

Erik thought about it hard. He tried to remember the feeling he had when he tore around the bases, and sent that baseball to the moon. Bleakly, he realized that under all the anxiety, it _had_ been fun. The game, the praise, and the attention.

"Yeah, I did." He mumbled.

"Then keep playing until the moment it stops being something you want to do." Pop said simply. "You kids…you make everything seem like some awful teen dramedy from the eighties! Can you imagine one about teenage werewolves? What the hell would they call it, 'Growling Pains?" Pop finished off his steak in a huge bite, and the topic was dropped for the evening.

{}{}{}{}

The night of the full moon came and went. Laurie spent hers in an extremely grouchy mood, before finally shifting against her will in one of the locked basement rooms their fathers prepared for them. Erik lay in the cell next door, and let the wolf have full rein as he tore up the walls and floor, working out the stress the last few days had caused him. The Barton twins had somehow gotten his cell phone #, and were now sending him texts, asking him _extremely_ personal questions that he either ignored or responded with very neutral answers. Erik was mindful of sending them anything that could embarrass him, and became less interested in the girls as possible dates the sillier they became.

The next few practice games were an interesting phenomena for him; as his anxiety decreased and his skill level increased, he had to rely less and less on the wolf to help him play. His Dad had been right, he must have had some natural skill that the wolf had given him access to earlier than he should have. The basemen were no longer terrified when he tore his way around towards home plate. Dad came to his practice sessions, and gave him and even some of the other players pointers. With the exception of Cooper, the kids even started looking up to him as a mentor, especially after he and Coach Fenton gave them a few demonstrations. He became a fixture on the field, and Fenton was even trying to talk him into becoming an assistant coach. Erik found himself getting a little jealous, but did his best not to show it.

Laurie wasn't happy with him, and called him 'Lightning-Ball' to piss him off every chance she got, but stopped when he reminded her of her end of the bargain. She had to let go for a single day and have fun with her wolf.

Laurie didn't want to use the wolf for gymnastics (she kept saying that the sport was 'just hers'), so after much discussion, they elected to go running through the forest surrounding the Hale property and just let themselves go wild. Laurie wore her 'commando' outfit and Erik met her behind the house wearing just his black running shorts, even forgoing his sneakers when he realized he could run faster without them. Erik was fully shifted already, continually getting better with the constant practice. His burning eyes looked mockingly at his sister, waiting for her to shift.

"Can't do it, can you? You bottled it up so tightly, you can't let it out even when you want to!"

"Shut up! Give me a second." she snapped.

"Stop being so uptight! Just let go for once!" he growled.

She fumed, and remained human.

Erik approached her and suddenly pushed her backward to the ground. "Girls suck!" he called as he took off into the woods.

Laurie gave a deep growl, and her eyes flashed a bright blue. "Oh, you are so going to pay for that, Lightning-Ball!" she spat through her new fangs. She flowed to her feet, and the full change rippled through her. Snarling, she took off into the forest after her brother.

Erik taunted her and laughed at her as he bounded through the forest. He had a slight edge over her, she had to admit. He had been at the whole wolf thing longer than her, and he gave himself more freely to the changes. Even transformed as she was, she kept the full influence of the wolf from overtaking her thoughts, holding its instincts and urges at bay. She resented the way it forced itself on her during the full moon, and this was her petty revenge. However, it was not helping her overtake her jerk of a brother.

After an hour of running non-stop at full speed, he began to slow. Finally, he stopped altogether and looked around, while Laurie spied a sudden opportunity. Leaping for an overhead branch, she spun around and around, building up her force until she flung herself through the air and hurled her body feet first directly at his back. He shouted in surprise as he was thrown forward, the wind whooshing out of his lungs. Then Laurie caught the scent, and began to panic. This part of the forest, which had already begun to peter out as it met the base of one of the local mountain ranges, was the lair of a mountain lion. It gave a ferocious yowl, and hurled itself on her stunned brother, raking him with its claws and savaging him with its teeth.

"_ERIK!"_ she shouted. Without thought, she was over to the mountain lion in half a second, and lifted it up by its corded neck. She squeezed and twisted as it clawed at her arms and face, until with a resounding snap the creature was still. She tossed its body aside, and went over to help her brother. He had reverted to human, and was hyperventilating. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to be in shock. Blood poured from the double dozen wounds, the bites and scratches gaping open. Tears started flowing down her cheeks as her Beta shift reversed itself. Guilt ate at her. She had knocked Erik right into the thing's jaws, and left him defenseless while it attacked. She had to get help.

Erik didn't have anything in his pockets, but Laurie opened one of the numerous Velcro pockets in her outfit and hurriedly pulled out her cell phone. She pressed the speed dial button for the house phone, and Dad picked up on the first ring.

"Yeah, sunshine, what's up?" he asked.

"Dad, Erik just got attacked by a mountain lion! I killed it, but he's torn up pretty bad! I'm so scared, I don't know what to do!"

"Stay where you are! We'll be right there!" he shouted. The phone went dead.

The Alpha appeared in half an hour. It snarled and sniffed at the dead mountain lion before transforming back into her father. She looked away while he put on his shorts that he'd been carrying in his teeth and went over to examine Erik. By this time, Erik's wounds had stopped bleeding and begun to close, though he still seemed to be in shock. Laurie's own less severe wounds were nearly faded. She had not stopped crying and shaking the whole time. Derek gently picked up his son.

"Laurie, he'll be fine. So will you. Come on, let's get you guys home. Pop will meet us on the way. Even he's not quicker than a rampaging Alpha."

"I heard that!" he said, jogging up. He put his arm around Laurie, and they made their way back to the house. As the trees started to crowd in again, Laurie looked up at one that seemed vaguely familiar and saw that a heart had been carved into the bark.

'L.H. & A.H.' it read. Well, that was one mystery solved…though she felt the price of the knowledge had been entirely too high.

_**A/N - And finally I get to my plot. I rewrote this chapter about 6 times...I just can't agree that wolfy superpowers should be considered cheating! I promise Turning Bites to everyone who reviews...providing I get one first of course.**_


	7. Chapter 7

They got Erik home without incident, and Stiles and Derek gently cleaned the blood off of him. The wounds had closed completely; though thick scabs were still visible on the skin. Laurie sat on the other side of the room, staring at him miserably. Her scratch marks had completely faded.

"What happened?" asked her Dad quietly.

"We were chasing each other. We were kind of play-fighting and I-"

"We scented the mountain lion too late. We should have been more careful." Erik groaned from the couch.

"Well, I'm glad you kids are okay. Animals don't usually attack us when we're shifted; you must have surprised it. Erik, you're healing pretty well, but I want you to lay there on the couch and rest. Just yell if there's anything you need. Your Pop and I have to prepare something that will speed up the healing process, we'll be right back."

Derek and Stiles left them.

"Why'd you cover for me?" she asked immediately.

"Cover for you? Laurie, you didn't put that mountain lion there, _I_ led us to it." Erik groused, trying to get comfortable.

"I kicked you right at it! It wouldn't have come near us if I hadn't! You couldn't defend yourself because I knocked the wind out of you! It's ALL my fault! I knew I never should have let the damn wolf out of the box!" she complained.

"Oh, get _over_ it! I'll be fine. I'm healing because of the wolf. You killed the mountain lion because of the wolf. Our parents rescued us because of the wolf. There's risks with it, like with anything, but from my point of view it gives us a lot more than it takes. I wouldn't be alive without it! Laurie, it was almost worth it for me to see you let go for once. I was looking back at you while you chased me. I _never_ saw that look on your face before! You looked…like you _owned_ the forest. All the worry that's been on your face since we found out was gone. I'd like to see more of that look. I really don't think there's anything to forgive here. Don't blame yourself, _or_ the wolf. On the way back, Dad told me that once Laura had to rescue him from an enraged bear. These things just happen, goes with the territory."

Laurie came over and hugged him. "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk lately. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to any of us. I can't imagine how Dad and Pop got through losing all those people in their families. I'd go crazy."

"Ditto. Now let me rest for a few weeks."

Dad came back in with a tray containing several syringes full of a red liquid. Erik's eyes opened wide.

"Oh, man what the hell! I need to get _shots_!" he complained. He hadn't needed them since a particularly traumatic visit to their family physician as a child to get vaccinated. It was a requirement to get them in school and a precaution since their immune systems wouldn't get the werewolf boost for at least another ten years. Laurie had taken the shots stoically, but Erik had been terrified. Derek wanted to tear the doctor limb from limb the more his son cried, and eventually had to leave the room and let Stiles oversee it.

"This will speed up the recovery. It's a small amount of my blood that I'm going to inject in the worst areas. Alphas heal at double the rate of Betas, so I think you'll be completely recovered by tomorrow morning." Derek explained patiently.

"Goddamn it! I thought I was through with shots. Fine, but I need something to mangle while you do it. Laurie! Give me your hand for a second." Erik joked.

"Nice try. Make them hurt, Dad." Laurie answered back.

"Kids. There's one…then two…then three. All done." Erik winced at each shot, and looked vastly relieved after it was over. Dad drew a blanket over his son and fluffed up his pillow, hitting the button on the remote control for the television. A show on the recently restored Discovery Channel seemed to be a documentary on the life cycle and habits of the mountain lion. Erik savagely changed the channel, while Laurie laughed.

Derek came over to Laurie and gave her a tight hug, almost like she used to get from him before all the werewolf nonsense. "You saved your brother's life. I wish this never happened, but I've never been more proud of you than I am now. It would have been amazing to see you take on that cat on."

Derek went in to the kitchen to dispose of the syringes, and looked up in surprise when Laurie followed him.

"Dad, did you notice the tree in that clearing? The one with the heart on it?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I did. That was probably Laura. She loved the forest, and was always dragging me out there, or her friends."

"Did she ever…have a boyfriend? I noticed the heart had the initials A.H. next to hers."

Derek got quiet, and his whole demeanor changed. "He was a human, and an unworthy one at that. She should never have gotten involved with him. Don't ask me anymore about it. Laura's gone, and he has to live with the guilt of what he's done." Derek stormed out of the kitchen.

Laurie looked after him, stunned. What the hell brought on that reaction? And just when Dad seemed to be getting back to normal with her, too.

Pop came in whistling. "Okay, young lady, what did you say to your Dad that has him all red-eyed and frowny and scowly? I haven't seen him like that since I tricked him into doing a strip tease for Uncle Danny."

Laurie gaped at him. "Okay, I don't even want to know. I just asked him about his sister Laura-"

"Yeah, that'll do it. He's very sensitive about her, Laurie, even after all these years." Pop looked up at the ceiling, from which the sounds of heavy pacing could be heard on the floor above.

"I just wanted to know if she had a boyfriend. There was a heart with the letters A.H. carved on a tree along with her initials. Do you know-"

"Whoa, hey, don't drag me into all of this. I have to sleep in the same bed as your Dad, and I want to keep waking up with all my guts on the _inside._ It was a long time ago, maybe you should just let it drop. Why do you want to know, anyway?"

"Well…I was named after her, but I don't know anything about her! You know I'm having trouble dealing with this whole thing, and I thought maybe if I found out more about Laura, how she grew up with it, you know…from a woman's perspective…it might help me understand myself a little better. Aunt Allison and Aunt Lydia were turned, because they wanted it…that won't help me. Dad and Erik are boys, and they just look at it completely differently. If Laura were here, I _know_ she could help me somehow. Dad clams up when her name is mentioned, so the next best thing would be to talk to the guy she was in love with. I bet he could tell me what she was like in a way that even Dad couldn't. He probably knows all her hopes, dreams, doubts and regrets."

Pop considered. On the one hand, he wanted to keep peace in the household…and the surest way to send the Alpha into a destructive rampage would be to prod him about his sister. On the other, he wanted to help his daughter come to terms with the reality of her life and begin to enjoy herself again. He truly missed her wisecracks and take-on-the-world attitude that had come to define her in her short life.

"Well, I never encountered a problem that couldn't be solved with a little research. Maybe your brother could help. Your Dad will not talk even under torture, and that's _not_ just an expression with him. Whatever you do, just be careful, and above all be discrete. Don't do anything foolish to get the answers. I'm okay with you looking in books, but I _don't_ want you talking to strange people or meeting anyone or leaving town or _anything_ like that. If you're in doubt, you clear it with me. I mean it! Be careful with the Internet too, our enemies have a way of tracing suspicious inquiries. Good luck." He hugged her and kissed her on the top of her head. "And remember your Dad's hearing!" he whispered as he left the kitchen.

She went back to the living room, where Erik was busy picking at his scabs. It might have been her imagination, but they looked a little smaller than before. The healing factor was an amazing thing. Remembering Pop's words, she decided not to risk asking for Erik's help until she was sure they couldn't be overheard. The two siblings spent the evening watching movies. They caught "The Howling", which they had never seen before and when the movie werewolf howled, their Dad came running down the stairs looking around wildly before catching sight of the television."

"Damn, I thought we were being attacked by a rogue Pack. Oh, this one's one of my favorites!" The three laughed through the movie while Pop made them popcorn and joined them, and they rooted for the werewolves to win.

"You know, the way you told stories when we were little, I always thought the wolf was the good guy! Like in 'Little Red Riding Hood', you said that Red killed her grandmother for her inheritance, and blamed it on the defenseless wolf so she could run away with the evil Hunter." Laurie had an accusing look in her eyes.

"Yeah! And in 'The Three Little Pigs', it was insurance fraud, and the wolf was blamed for the poor construction of their houses. Do you have any idea how the other kids laughed when I told them about it?" Erik complained.

Pop was shaking with silent laughter, while Derek looked only slightly red-faced. "That's how I was told them when I was little." he said stubbornly.

After dinner, which Erik was allowed to eat on a tray at the couch, Dad and Pop went upstairs to go over the company's quarterly reports, and Laurie grabbed the photo album from her room.

"Erik! Be very quiet." she hissed. She flipped the book open to the picture of Laura leaning against the tree and showed it to him. He gazed at it with mild curiosity and shrugged his shoulders (wincing in pain at his forgotten injuries).

"I want to find out who took this picture! The initials A.H. were on the tree; it was where you were attacked. I thought maybe we could go through old yearbooks at school, and find any teenagers that were in her year to see if…"

Erik rolled his eyes and grabbed the album, yanking the photo out from under the plastic sheet. He turned it over, glanced at the back and then handed it to her. There on the back, written in a strong masculine script, were the words: "Laura, here's your future Vogue cover shot! Maybe I should teach photography instead of chemistry! Love, Adrian. The picture was dated 2004.

"Mystery solved." Erik said in a bored voice.

Laurie's face was glowing a bright red as she went back to her room.

{}{}{}{}

Adrian Harris had retired from teaching the year before the Hale siblings started at Beacon Hills High. They had never seen him face to face, but the juniors and seniors were still complaining about what a hard-ass he was, and how glad they were he was gone. Dad's yearbooks had no doubt been lost in the fire, but Laurie managed to find Pop's on a shelf in the library. Opening the book, she gasped at the pictures of all the Pack members, looking the same then as they did now, and she wondered if being a werewolf meant a longer lifespan. She flipped to the Chemistry section, and there he was. Adrian Harris, a good-looking if rather stern young man.

Laurie fired up her computer and cyber-stalked him. Laura had been twenty-seven when she was killed. He was thirty-three. If the picture was anything to go by, they started dating when she was twenty-one and he was twenty-seven. She wondered what they had in common. Laurie did some more googling, and came up with nothing before giving up and bringing her laptop back out to Erik.

He grumbled at her request; (he really just wanted to relax) but managed within minutes to hack into the school's database to find Laura's academic record. Sure enough, her marks in chemistry had been top notch, and she had won several interstate science fairs and competitions. Their interest had likely sparked at that time, but they probably waited until she was twenty-one before beginning their romance so as not to get him in trouble with the school board; he was still teaching for years after it all. Laurie knew that Dad and Laura moved away after the fire for six years, so the relationship could not have lasted very long. Did they break up so that she could deal with the grief of losing her family? How did he take it? And why was Dad so hardcore against him? He seemed to think that Harris had done something terrible, and felt guilty about it. There was only one way to find out the answers to these questions. Eventually, she would have to find him.

{}{}{}{}

Erik was fully recovered by the next day, which was just as well since the Hale family would be celebrating Erik and Laurie's birthday that evening. Dad rented a banquet hall, and the Pack was invited along with Grandpa Stilinski, the Whittemores, the Martins, Scott's mother Melissa McCall, Maria Kean (Danny's mother) and of course Chris and Vivian Argent. Uncle Ted was estranged from his family, and they had long since moved from town. All the parents present knew about werewolves and had become okay with it over a period of years. Scott and Danny's mothers had taken it well (after brief nervous breakdowns). Catherine Martin had dated a werewolf as a teenager before marrying her husband Thomas, and Roger Whittemore was roommates with one at the university while he was dating his future wife Martha, so the only surprise for them was that their children had joined the club.

Grandpa Stilinski discovered the existence of werewolves (as well as his son's new relationship) during a holdup at a convenience store. He smiled at the memory…

Flashback Music

Derek was filling the Camaro with gas, while Stiles was inside buying enormous bags of snacks for a night of movie watching with the Pack. The other customer suddenly pulled out a gun and shot the cashier before hopping behind the counter and emptying the money drawer into a bag. The cashier passed out from blood loss, but not before tripping the silent alarm. Stiles was too petrified to move, but the Alpha was quickly able to pick up the scent of his terror over the stench of the gasoline. His head suddenly jerked up, eyes bleeding crimson light and he snarled through the new scythe-like teeth. The Sheriff arrived in just in time to see Derek wolf out and tear the door of the convenience store off its hinges before grabbing the panicked robber and hurling him through the glass of the fridges that lined the wall. The Sheriff pulled out his gun and was prepared to shoot the creature as it loomed over Stiles, but stopped in amazement as the transformation reversed itself. A near naked Derek Hale gently picked up Stiles and hugged him to his chest, trembling with anxiety.

"I thought I'd lost you." Derek said in a shaky voice. As alarmed as the Sheriff was…there was no mistaking the look on Derek's face.

"After all these weeks of Glares, denials and head-slams, THIS is what it takes to get you to show your feelings, o great Sour Wolf?" Stiles joked, gently stroking Derek's back. Despite his attempt at humor, he was pale and shaking too.

"Ahem." said the Sheriff, holstering his gun.

"Hey, Dad." Stiles said absently. Then he shrieked, flailing his arms in surprise and sending the Alpha into a magazine stand, where he collapsed to the floor and was promptly buried under a pile of Archie comic books. "HOLY CRAP! DAD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? UM, I CAN EXPLAIN! YOU SEE-"

"Shut up, and help your boyfriend to his feet. The ambulance will be here any minute along with backup, and I have until then to sabotage the video surveillance while you two make yourselves scarce. Go, NOW!"

Stiles pulled Derek out from under the comics and led him to the empty door frame while the Alpha rubbed his head.

"What was I thinking, trying to rescue YOU! I should have been saving _him_…" Derek muttered, pointing at the thief.

"You handle the brooding, I'll handle the wisecracks." Stiles whispered back.

"Didn't Catwoman say that to Batman in 'Arkham City'?"

"I knew you weren't really sleeping while I played. You may be Batman, but I am NOT Catwoman! I would look terrible in latex. Wait! I forgot the snacks!"

The Sheriff heard a distinct smacking sound. "Stiles!" he called out.

His son ran back in while Derek started up his car. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Be home by midnight. We are going to have a LONG talk! That goes for the Wolf-man too." The Sheriff picked up a bag of Funions, and shoved it into Stiles' chest.

"Um, yeah, right, we'll be there. Dad…you're not mad, are you?" Stiles asked. He looked ready to cry.

"At the secrecy. Nothing else. Now, get lost." Stiles ran out (snatching a bag of Doritos as he left) and the Camaro tore off into the night just as the ambulance pulled up, sirens blaring. The Sheriff directed the paramedics to the cashier and the gunman, and then stepped into the back to destroy some video-tapes.

End of Flashback

Now it was all old hat to him: Derek was his son as much as Stiles, he had two beautiful grandchildren, and the whole family had the ability to protect themselves in the incredibly dangerous world they were part of. Speaking of which…

"Steven. So good to see you." Chris Argent gave his hand a firm shake. There was a lot less blond and a lot more gray in the hair, but the too-wide grin was still the same. Vivian seemed not to have changed at all…but hair dye and make-up could do wonders. So could plastic surgery.

"Chris. How've you been? Retirement treating you okay?" Steven asked in a neutral tone. Knowing what the Argent family had done to the people he cared about pretty much pre-empted any chance of them all becoming best friends…which neither man had a problem with.

"Oh, you know a Hunter never _really_ retires. We're always watching, making sure everyone keeps their promises."

"I seem to remember I made _you_ a promise once, Chris." Steven grinned as Chris' smile slipped a notch.

"If any wolves shed human blood, I will be there to see that it never happens again, Steven. I would expect you to be there at my side if that happens."

The two men were suddenly tackled to the floor by rabid wolves…or rather rabid children wearing wolf-masks.

"GOTCHA!" shouted Dylan Whittemore as he lifted furry clawed hands in the air, preparing to deliver a fatal strike.

"No you don't!" said Jackson firmly, yanking the wolf-gloves off his son's hands and dragging him away towards Lydia while Steven chuckled and slowly got to his feet.

Christine McCall had to be dragged from her grandfather as well by a blushing Scott. She tore free and threw her arms around her startled grandmother and squeezed her tightly.

"Wolves are scary, but one day I want to look as mean as _you_!" she announced, while Vivian chuckled.

"You will, one day my dear. It takes _lots_ of practice." Vivian promised.

Allison apologized as she took her daughter back. The McCalls and Whittemores went off to the buffet table to feed their ravenous offspring.

Noting that Chris had suffered a small cut in his fall, he said "Looks like your granddaughter shed human blood. Are you going to tell Scott and Allison the bad news?"

Chris grimaced, and Steven walked away. He loved these family gatherings.

He sat at a table towards the rear of the room and looked out at the assembled family, and shook his head at the idea that such a mismatched group of people could have something in common. Some of the most powerful (in every sense of the word) families in all of Beacon Hills were here, all blended into the Hale bloodline, under Derek's leadership as the Alpha and Stiles as second-in-command.

"God help us all!" he laughed to himself. He had to give his son credit. The boy had done pretty well for himself.

"Hey, Grandpa?" asked a familiar voice.

"Yeah, Laurie? Happy Birthday, young lady. What can I do for you?"

Laurie looked around as if making sure they weren't being overheard.

"Can you tell me anything about Adrian Harris? The old chemistry teacher?" she asked. "It's kind of important."

"Any reason you're not asking your Dad about him? I don't think it's a secret that Harris was in love with Laura Hale."

"That's why I want to know about him. Dad's just way too touchy. Pop told me to just research it on my own."

"He did? I see. Stiles always was poking his nose into all of these mysteries. A trait you seem to have inherited. Well, I had a long talk with Adrian a while back. They had a fight and broke up, and he began to drink. Around that time, he met a woman that tricked him into telling her how to commit arson and get away with it. Then the Hale fire happened. Stiles told me he shared the history with you."

"That was Kate Argent?" Laurie whispered. No wonder her Dad hated the man's guts.

"Yes. I don't believe he knew what she was, he didn't even know her name. He certainly wouldn't ever have wanted anything to happen to Laura or her family. He kept his part in things a secret for six years, until Laura came back and confronted him about it. He confessed to her, and if he is to be believed she forgave him. He gave her the clue she needed to track Kate down. She intended to destroy her, and with the power of an Alpha she could very well do it. But, before she got the chance she was killed. You know the rest."

"She was going to do it? To kill her?" Laurie asked. She heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Erik. Dylan and Christine were clinging to his legs, giggling.

"Erik can change, Laurie! He says you can too! Can you show us?" begged Christine. It was obvious that the two children hero-worshipped their cousins for being close to their age, as well as full-fledged werewolves.

Laurie sighed at the excited, eager and worshipful face of her young cousin. "Sure, why not?" She covered her face with her hands, and whipped them apart to show her Beta-shifted face. "GRRROOOOAARRRR!" she yelled. Dylan and Christine squealed excitedly. They let go of Erik's legs and ran around in circles with the dizzying energy only young children have. They growled, bit and scratched each other (playfully) before tearing off to attack other unsuspecting partyers.

"Tell me we weren't like that, Grandpa." Erik said wearily. The ex-Sheriff laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

Laurie took three running steps and expertly used the springboard to launch herself up to the horizontal bar. She gained momentum with a practiced kick of her legs and spun around several times before about-facing and propelling herself to the higher bar. A few more spins later and she was perched on the top where she did an impromptu pole-walk before dropping back down and reversing her routine, performing one final mid-air somersault and landing neatly on her feet with no sign strain. Coach Mirov clapped softly before going over the new routine she wanted the team to perform at the next competition with Red Falls High.

"I have taught here for nearly twenty-five years, and only one other has matched your skill. Your namesake would be very proud!" she said in her thick Slavic accent when they were done.

"You knew her?" Laurie asked, excitement in her voice.

"Yes. I was able to see her briefly when she returned, before she was…I am sorry. What happened must be painful for you to hear." The kind blue eyes in the wrinkled face closed briefly as she mourned the loss of her old student. The coach ran a hand through her white hair, which was still shot through with gold. She must have been a beauty back in the day.

"I never knew her, I just have some old pictures. I heard…that she had a relationship with Adrian Harris, that they were really in love. The other day I found a heart carved into an old tree with their initials. I would love to know more about her, but my Dad…"

"His grief was powerful, even more than when he first lost his family in the fire. Ah! Such misfortune in your family! I visited his uncle in the hospital before he disappeared, but his spirit was gone. I lost my own family under Ceaucescu's regime in the old country; no one should have to bear that much grief. I am thankful that your other father survived the attack by that madman Porlock. But your mother... she was in love with Adrian, and he with her. I do not know why they separated…perhaps he discovered she was one of the vroloka."

Laurie froze. She recognized the word from the book Erik was reading in the library that day. It was the Slavic word for werewolf.

"You…you know what we are?" she asked.

Coach Mirov tilted her head. "I know _who_ you are. You are Laurie Hale, a fine gymnast, and daughter of one I loved as my own child."

"I'm having a hard time with it. I didn't know until a month ago." Laurie searched the woman's face for any sign of fear, and found none.

"It is different, but I believe that vroloka are part of the natural order. Perhaps their purpose is lost to time; man has never learned to accept those who are different. Do you fear the wolf? You should not; all men have a beast within them, vroloka are just able to let it out. Whether you use it for good or ill tells the most about you. Your mother… was so dear to me; to think that I have outlived her causes me nothing but pain. She was meant for a greater destiny."

"That's just it; I feel like it's changing me! It…affects my thoughts, my feelings! I never wanted this! It's not fair!" Laurie turned away, tears threatening to fall from her shining eyes.

Coach Mirov was startled that Laurie was so upset, and felt ashamed at being the cause. "Laurie, I am no vroloka, but I have known more than a few both here and back in my homeland. The wolf is a powerful force, and it is well for you that you respect that power. From what I know, it is a part of you. Its anger is _your_ anger; its love is _your_ love…just more powerful. Anyone can lose themselves to powerful feelings, it is no different for you. Some vroloka…have given themselves over to their anger and hatred…but that is the sin of the _man_, not the beast. This is true, no?"

Laurie nodded, thinking of Peter Hale.

"Have you ever done or said something when you were angry that you regretted later?" the Coach continued.

"Yes, but…"

"Do you think that you were a different person while you raged? Or was it just a small part of you that grew too big for a short while?"

"Well, I never thought of it like that, but…" she said slowly.

"The wolf is the same, and so you _must_ learn to control it! Only by running from it will it gain power over you. I would think that you, more than anyone would know that a fear must be faced before it can be conquered."

Laurie felt her face flush red. She didn't know what to say.

"The wolf is a beast, but beasts are wise, and there is much we can learn from them. The wolf is loyal to those it loves; man betrays his brother endlessly. The wolf will recognize the truth while man believes his own lies and the lies of others. A friend may fail you, but the wolf will _always_ come to you when needed. Laurie, the wolf is _not_ your enemy, even though you are an enemy to the wolf!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" said Derek Hale, entering the gym in his assistant coach's uniform.

"Ah! Mr. Hale, your ears are as sharp as ever, I see!" Coach Mirov smiled at him.

"Hey, Dad." Laurie said quietly. Derek gave the older woman a brief hug before squeezing his daughter tightly. For a moment, she felt the strong bond she always had with him return.

"It's been a long time, Alekza. I couldn't have asked for a better coach for my daughter!" he said, flashing her one of his killer grins.

The coach flushed slightly, as most women did around her father, and Laurie had to smirk. What a ham he was.

"She is very talented, and will go far in the sport if she chooses. Laurie, I will see you next week for practice, but feel free to stop in and talk any time!"

The coach left them, and Laurie went to the locker room for a quick shower and change. When she returned, she saw that her brother and Moose Bradley were there. Erik and Moose had become fast friends over the last week, and were even hanging out after school. Laurie missed her brother being around so much, and began throwing herself more and more into her chosen sport. She just wished she could make a friend or two as well, but the other girls seemed to be a little afraid of her; Laurie had no idea why.

"Hey Erik, hey…um, Moose. Is that your real name?" she asked bluntly. Erik and her father rolled their eyes.

"I dub you 'the Empress of Tact'" Erik intoned formally. Moose snickered.

"It's okay. No, it's really Aaron, but no one calls me that." he winked at her, and she noticed that his eyes were a deep blue. She felt her heart quicken in her chest, and wondered if she were having some kind of stress reaction.

"Okay Aaron, I'll be the first then." Did her voice seem higher pitched than normal? What the hell was going on?

"You know, I usually hate it, but I don't mind it coming from you…it's strange…" he said, scratching his blond hair.

Derek's eyes suddenly got wide. "No freaking way…"

Erik was oblivious to the crashing truth roaring through his father's mind. "You ready to go Laurie? I'm starving, and Dad said he would take us out for steak tonight."

"Sounds good to me. You coming with us, Aaron?" Laurie could not for the life of her figure out why the possibility seemed suddenly so exciting.

"Er…" said Derek.

"Yeah, Moose! You've got to try this place!" Erik said excitedly.

"Um…" tried Derek again.

"Sure, if your Dad doesn't mind. I'll just call my folks. Is it okay with you, Mr. Hale?"

Derek looked up at the boy (Moose was a good three inches taller than him) and fought a brief internal war in himself.

"Uh, yeah sure. I'm just going to call Stiles and make sure he's ready. Meet me out front, I'll pick you guys up."

Derek quickly walked off. Once outside, he frantically dialed his mate's cell.

"Oh God, you're not going to believe this…" he began in a rush the moment Stiles picked up the phone. Derek gave him a short rapid speech.

Thirty seconds later…

"WHAT?" came the disbelieving reply.

{}{}{}{}

Dinner that night was an awkward affair. Erik devoured a record amount of food since he was shifting into his Beta form with enormous frequency between baseball and werewolf training. Derek stared at his son, glassy-eyed with nausea. Erik saw nothing beyond his own plate, and kept sending the frantic waiter back for more every time he ran out of food.

Stiles openly gaped at his daughter and Aaron "Moose" Bradley as the truth of Derek's words hit him with gut-punching force. Laurie, at a mere sixteen years of age, had found her mate. The two practically ignored the others present, and discovered with each passing moment that they had an incredible amount in common. They favored the same sports teams, read the same authors, watched the same television shows…and had completely opposing viewpoints on the major political issues of the day. Once they got on that topic, their 'couple' status became practically official since there was nothing each of them liked to do more than bicker about social issues. They were both well-informed for their age, and developed a mutual respect for each other's intelligence even while they disagreed.

Moose excused himself to use the rest room, and Laurie stared after him as he walked off, a small happy smile on her face.

"You know, I really like him!" she said aloud, completely missing the Glares she was getting from her parents.

Erik spewed some mash potatoes, this remark having penetrated his feeding frenzy.

"What? Laurie, can't you date some other jerk? Moose is my first real friend!" he said around a mouthful of food.

Derek lost patience. "Erik, please eat more slowly, you're giving me a stomach ache! Laurie…do you know what's going on here?"

Laurie looked at her father, her smile slowly fading away. "What do you mean?"

Stiles face-palmed himself. "God, there's no way this is going to work out well. Laurie…are you having really strong feelings about him right now?"

"Uh…" she didn't really want to discuss this kind of thing with her parents…but then she realized why they were asking. "Holy crap, you mean to tell me that the freaking _wolf_ likes him? God damn it, why does this have to happen to me…"

Derek slammed his hand down on the table, making all them, including Stiles jump. Several patrons looked over at them curiously.

"Laurie Gennifer Hale. I thought you might have gotten past all of this by now, but I guess I was wrong. You and the wolf are _one being!_ Did you listen to anything your coach said? It was all true! The wolf likes him because _you_ do, and _you_ like him because as a werewolf you _recognize_ his suitability as a… as a…" he couldn't say the word.

"As a mate." she said flatly. Her fathers and brother all winced. "I am not going to be told by anyone who to date, least of all my damn wolf!"

"Oh yes you are. And believe me, this is one time I wish I was wrong. You won't ever have feelings for anyone else, and the bond with him will only grow over time. Even though he's human, he's going to feel it just as strongly! It's inevitable! Laurie, it's too dangerous for you to date until you get control of yourself. You have got keep this going as slow as possible until you are fully trained!" Derek said rapidly. He could smell Moose…Aaron… returning.

"Slow? I'll show you slow! When he comes back, I'm going to pour my water right into his lap! Let's see this stupid mating thing fix _that!_"

They all gaped at her.

Moose seated himself beside Laurie again, and the Hale men watched as Laurie lifted her glass and started to swing it slowly over to Moose who had just taken a bite of his steak. Suddenly, Moose grabbed his throat. He frantically gestured that he was choking, and Laurie reacted so fast that it seemed a blur even to her. Moving with supernatural speed, she was suddenly behind him and lifting his large frame out of the chair with frightening ease. Her hands clasped around his middle, and wedging her thumb underneath the rib cage, she heaved upward with all her strength.

The small bit of meat flew from his mouth, and he sucked in a great breath of air. He panted heavily as he sat back down, sweat beading on his forehead. Laurie grabbed a napkin and frantically wiped his face.

"Holy crap, are you all right? Aaron, you scared the hell out of me! What is it with you men and chewing your damn food?" She gave a vicious glance to her brother.

Moose got his breath back, and turned to look at Laurie with new eyes. "Laurie…you just saved my life! I don't know how you picked me up like that, but I'm glad you did. I thought I was a goner!" Moose picked up the glass of water that had once been destined for his lap and drank it down. You could practically hear the orchestra of love swelling to a crescendo in the background.

{}{}{}{}

After making sure Moose was all right, the Hales dropped him off at home. Moose officially gave her his digits, and despite herself, Laurie was pretty happy about it. The men in the car were quiet the whole way home, while she hummed some of the more modern love songs to herself. Dad and Pop went to bed early, still wrestling with the days' events. Erik seemed irritated, and Laurie chalked it up to the fact that she was likely stealing his first real friend. She couldn't blame him for being pissed, but it wasn't her damned fault. She went to her room and listened to CDs in her new player (trying to keep herself from searching for Aaron's pictures in the yearbook) when there was a knock on the door. It was Erik.

"What's it like?" he asked.

"What's what like?" she asked back, knowing what he meant.

"You know. Falling for someone." There seemed to be something wrong with Erik's voice. He faced away from her, examining her CD collection while they talked. She sat before her vanity and began brushing her hair.

"I hate to say it…but Dad's right. I can see why _I_ like him…and they _are_ my own feelings. It's like when Dad bought us the car, only ten times more powerful. It's like a roller coaster ride, it's like…" she stopped when she heard Erik sniffle.

"Erik, what the hell is wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked, alarmed. She got up and went over to hug him. It occurred to her how rarely that happened these days.

"Don't you dare screw this up, Laurie, and not just because Moose is my friend. I would give _anything_ to be feeling what you are right now. ANYTHING!" he suddenly shouted.

Laurie backed away, startled. "Erik…what is wrong with you?"

He laughed then, even with tears pouring down his face. "You're backing away, just like everybody else does. All I ever wanted my whole life was to find someone. You ever wonder why I read all the time? Why I never bothered with other kids? I asked out a few girls in junior high, after weeks of working up the nerve. They laughed at me! Not one would so much as sit at the lunch table with me! When we found out about this whole werewolf thing, I read every book I could, and they all agreed with what Pop and Dad were saying! There's only _one person_ for me out there! That's pretty awesome, because that's one more than I _thought_ there would be! Look how happy our parents are! I _want that_, Laurie! Finding out I was a werewolf was the greatest thing that could ever happen to me, and not for the baseball or the ass-kicking I can give to creeps like Porlock and Cooper! It's because I know that when I fall in love, it's going to be real and forever! But who does it happen to? You! The girl who doesn't want it! What if I _never_ find mine? _What if I'm alone forever?"_

Laurie was speechless. How could she have never seen how alone her brother felt? She began to cry herself then. She approached him, but then jumped back as he suddenly shifted and tore out of her room. She heard the back door slam a moment later, and when she entered the hall she saw a trail of his clothes leading through the house. Derek and Stiles came down the stairs, frantically belting their robes around their waists.

"Laurie? What happened? Where's Erik?" They looked around at the discarded clothes, and followed the scent trail to the back door.

Laurie told them (still crying), and both men sat on the couch and looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

{}{}{}{}

Erik ran through the forest, bounding on all fours with the speed of a puma. He didn't need the light of the sickle-shaped moon to guide him; he had given himself fully over to the wolf, and saw the world as if the noonday sun were overhead. His ears tracked every sound, he scented the trail of every animal. The night air was cool and soft on his bare skin, and he tasted the blood in his mouth as his fangs erupted. It tasted wonderful.

Suddenly, he wanted more of it.

A year ago, he would have been terrified to be this deep in the woods. He had seen 'The Blair Witch Project' on cable, and had nightmares for weeks about being alone in the woods and hearing sinister noises all around him while unknown monsters stalked him in the darkness.

Now, the forest was _his_ domain, _his_ kingdom. If the Blair Witch could see his face now, she would crap her ghostly pants at his fang-filled grin.

He scented a stag, and began to track it, flitting through the trees and relishing the terror-filled bleats it gave off when it caught the scent of its death. Finally, he cornered it, and looked at its terrified rolling eyes and heaving lungs. Its antlers were huge, a prize any hunter in the area would have lusted after.

Erik sighed and straightened from his attack crouch. He wasn't hungry, and he didn't feel like venting his misery on some blameless animal.

"Go on. Get lost." He told it. Then he sniffed, and looked to his right. An honest-to-God north American Timber wolf approached and looked at him with smoky amber eyes. It was amazing that there was one here, and he wondered if it was part of a Pack.

The stag, pushed past the bounds of terror at the approach of a second predator suddenly charged him. Erik was still fully shifted, and he grabbed the antlers without thought and swung the stag off its legs, turning his body to slam the beast into a tree and twisting the head savagely as he did. It was dead before it hit the ground. The wolf backed away a few steps, but then approached, whining. Erik wondered what wolves thought of werewolves. Were they considered brothers? No way to tell.

"Guess it's your lucky night, boy."

The wolf whined again and crawled forward on its belly until it reached Erik. Then it rolled on its back and exposed its neck. Erik felt the urge to lean down, and with dim alarm he clamped his jaws on the wolf's throat…but he didn't bite. He stood up again, and the wolf got to its feet and looked at him expectantly. It turned to the dead stag and whined.

"Oh, you think I want to feed and you're giving me first dibs, huh?"

Erik walked over to the stag, and sliced open its belly with his claws, giving a short disgusted scream at the spray of blood that coated him. The steaming innards poured out, and Erik felt amazed he wasn't puking at the mess. He reached deep in the cavity, and pulled out the dripping heart which he lay at the feet of the wolf. It tilted its head and gave an almost questioning whine.

"Go ahead. I ate already."

The wolf grabbed the heart in its teeth and backed away a few steps to tear it to pieces and swallow them.

"I'm gonna go home now. See you around." Erik almost though t the wolf was grinning at him.

He returned home about three hours after he'd run out. Derek was waiting for him on the rear deck, and took in his blood-stained chest and hands without comment.

"Hey, Dad." Erik said softly.

"Hey, Son."

"Sorry for running out like that. I had a pretty bad meltdown."

"I heard. I'm here if you want to talk about it. I'll help you hose off the blood before you come in the house. If your Pop sees you like that, he'll have puppies."

Erik shucked the blood-soaked shorts and tried not to scream at the coldness of the spray. He dried off with the towel and put on the bathrobe that his father predicted he would need. They sat together on two deck chairs and took in the star-littered sky and sliver of moon in silence. The moon moved on quite a bit before Erik spoke.

"Do some of us…ever…not find their…" he began. His voice sounded choked.

"Yes. That does happen now and then. We don't know what it means…if their mate is dead, or lost somewhere in the world or if the werewolf in question just doesn't have one. Many more of us find them, however. It's rare that we don't, son."

Erik nodded. He prayed fiercely to whatever God controlled the destinies of werewolves that he would not be one of those. He couldn't stand it.

"Am I a freak, Dad?" he asked suddenly. "You think there's a reason why I never had any friends? Or a relationship?"

"Erik Steven Hale, I never want to hear you say that about yourself again." Derek said this flatly in his Alpha voice. "I never knew it was _possible_ to love anybody as much as I love you kids. I wouldn't trade you two for anything, and everything I do is to make sure you kids are happy and provided for."

Derek sighed. "When I first taught you how to shift, I told you that people try to hurt us. You knew that already though. What you _didn't_ know is that sometimes people help us too…if you had told me when I was your age that I would have an Argent in my Pack, I would have called you insane. And look at Laurie's coach! Your mother told her the family secret, and that woman never told anyone and was always there for Laura! She became so close to the family, my father even offered her the bite, and _no one_ was as miserly about giving it to someone as he was…but she turned it down. Do you know how rare that is? To find someone who knows about us but doesn't want anything from us? You have to go through a lot of searching to find those people, but they're there. And I'm sure one of them will wind up being your mate. I can't say I know this for certain…but I feel it…you're too great a kid."

"Nobody at school makes me feel anything. Some girls have even hit on me in the last few weeks... but nothing happens."

"You're trying too hard. Look at this Moose character that seems fated to be my son-in-law someday…oh, God…he came out of left field (no pun intended) when a boyfriend was the last thing on your sister's mind. Or look at your Pop and I! So much was going on when I met him…my sister's death, a rogue mystery Alpha killing people, an annoying obnoxious teenager given the bite against his will and damned Hunters everywhere…in the middle of all that chaos, I met the love of my life, and we survived. You'll have it way easier than me, I'm sure. Besides, you're so _young_, Erik! Give it some time, enjoy your life and try to find yourself before you go looking for your mate."

Erik sighed. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Dad. I've…been dealing with this a long time. It had to blow up sooner or later."

"I'm sorry if I've…been too blind to notice what you two were going through. I'm really jealous of your Pop that he got to stay home with you kids while I had to work…and I feel bad that once the business took off, I kept at it even when I didn't have to work so hard. Ugh! I still get the chills every time I hear that damned 'Cats in the Cradle' song. You never have to go through anything alone, Erik. You can always come to us about anything."

"So…what _do_ you think of Moose…Aaron?" Erik laughed.

Derek snickered. "I hope he doesn't want to get turned when he finds out…that would be one enormous wolf!"

Erik chuckled at the sudden image of a Beta-shifted Moose towering over his father's Alpha-form.

"In all seriousness…he's okay. I listened to his heart-beat whenever you stopped shoveling food into your mouth for two seconds, and he was pretty truthful in everything he said. His scent was right too. As much as I want to, I can't not like him. But Laurie is not allowed to even _hug_ him until she passes her training course. That should get her motivated if nothing else will."

"I hope so. I'm going to bed. Good-night, Dad." Erik yawned and got up, heading into the house. His father gave him a rough hug before he went inside.

Alone, Derek looked up at the indifferent sky for answers, and (finding none) went upstairs to the warm comfort of his bed and his mate.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N – Wow, quite a few people have requested Erik pair up with a boy. I deliberately left it vague since I had no idea how I was going to handle that, but a few mutant plot-bunnies have begun racing through the moonlit darkness of the Hale woods. Erik is going to have more going on than anyone expects, and he **__**will**__** meet his mate in this chapter…but that is going to be a very long battle for him. Hope you enjoy, and thank you for the awesome reviews. They are the best part of writing, and make me unspeakably happy. By the way, the new avatar pic on my profile is what I feel Erik looks like…maybe with a little less facial hair (otherwise an eerie combination of Stiles and Derek, no?). Those who want to see more of the Pack will get their wish soon; there's going to be a run like none that has ever happened before. Laurie will soon find out more about the mystery of Laura Hale's long-ago romance.**_

_**Batman & Robin**_

Erik tried to stop thinking about his 'other half' somewhere out there in the world…perhaps feeling as lonely as he was right now. Over the next few days at school, he continued to make a point of having an extended conversation with anyone who was willing, just to see if it might trigger a reaction. When he'd exhausted the likely population of girls, he even made the rounds of the boys…and while a small number from both groups seemed to give off the tell-tale scent of interest, Erik himself felt none of the 'enthusiasm' that Laurie felt within a minute of talking to Moose. An amusing and unforeseen side effect of his efforts turned out to be a modest increase in popularity. Freshman who hadn't been aware of his former 'nerd' status found him to be likeable, and the juniors and seniors were reevaluating him due to his success on the baseball field. The nerd clique recognized him as one of their own, even while the jocks high-fived him in the hallway. As the students forgot that he'd been a loner, Erik found himself getting invited to parties and even asked out on dates (which he always politely turned down when the wolf dismissed them). The rejected girls assumed he was gay (more to assuage their egos than any behavior on his part), and some introduced him to their male friends, but his interest remained minimal. Clarissa Barton flat out asked him what his problem was during a victory party at Moose's house.

"I'm waiting for _the_ one. I'll know it when it happens." he shrugged.

"But…do you know what you're looking for?" she persisted.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be single." he laughed.

Clarissa growled good-naturedly. When it first became obvious there was no chemistry, she resigned herself to being his friend, and found she genuinely liked him once she got to know him. Amy was cooler towards him, not having taken rejection as well as her twin, but she was still perfectly willing to socialize with him.

"Maybe you won't ever find the 'one' until you DO figure out what you want. Everyone knows what they want, deep down." Amy spoke with the infinite wisdom of her sixteen years on the planet, and Erik was thinking of a snappy comeback when he stopped and considered her words.

"You know something? You might be right. I take back half the mean things I said about you." Erik joked. Amy punched him in the arm, having seen Laurie do it; though Amy punched way harder. Erik rubbed his arm and went and got another glass of punch, thoughtfully grabbing extra cups for the girls when he was suddenly shoved by a dancing couple.

"Watch where I'm going!" he growled irritably.

"Oh, hey Lightning-Ball!" Laurie laughed. Moose had his arms around her and they were slowly swaying to the music with about six other couples in the large finished basement doing duty as a dance hall. Erik tried not to resent the glowing happiness in her face while he studied them, trying to figure out exactly _how_ they meshed, and what kind of person he felt would mesh with him…to no avail. He sighed, giving up for the night. As he turned around, he noticed he was not the only one paying attention to his sister and her boy toy. More than half the girls in the room were giving her looks of sheer loathing. Were they jealous?

He delivered the drinks to Amy and Clarissa, then excused himself. He'd socialized with everyone at the party, and the wolf wasn't having any of them. Who could have guessed his inner wolf would be so picky? After telling Laurie he was going to walk home, he left and took a shortcut through the woods. The moon was more than half full, and he decided to shift and make a run out of it. He stripped out of his clothes and stuffed them in his knapsack, donning his 'running' shorts that went everywhere with him now.

As he took on the Beta form, he inhaled deeply and relished the scent and feel of the night air on his bare skin and the feel of the earth under his feet. He slung his arms through the loops of his knapsack and took off, heading in the general direction of home, but taking a looping route that would prolong the journey. More and more lately he was growing to love racing through the forest and the sensation of freedom it gave him. As he approached within a mile of his home, he caught the scent of the wolf from the other night, as well as a new one. They had scented him, and were excitedly closing in. They howled, and Erik stopped and answered back suddenly excited as well. They bounded up to him, and he got on his knees and hugged them both (dimly hoping they didn't have fleas or ticks). They frolicked around him, and he decided to race them back to the house. They were almost at his backyard when they stopped and gave worried yelps before taking off in the opposite direction. Erik stared after them before heading up to the deck, suddenly realizing that the whole werewolf Pack were sitting there drinking beer and talking. The smell of barbecued meat made his stomach rumble. Conversation stopped as Erik approached.

"Hey Aunts and Uncles." He waved.

"Yo, Erik! How's it going?" called Scott. Allison and Lydia gave him bemused hugs, noticing his state of undress.

"Night runs are awesome, we should all go as a Pack one night!" Jackson put in.

"Were those _actual_ wolves you were running with?" asked Derek.

"Yeah, I met one the other night when…you know. The second showed up tonight. Guess they weren't ready to meet you guys yet."

"I had no idea there was a Pack in this area…I really need to scout out the forest again. It's been too long." Derek's eyes flashed red as he scanned the trees.

"Here, there's some food left if you want any." Ted pulled some burgers and hot dogs from the grill over the built-in fire pit and handed him a heaping plate. Erik gratefully downed one of each in rapid succession.

"Damn, take a breath in between!" Danny tossed him a soda.

Erik chatted with them a while before heading inside, pausing to rinse his feet off with the hose when Stiles yelled at him about the dirt.

"So, how've they been doing, Derek?" asked Lydia once the boy was out of earshot.

"Laurie's a changed girl since she latched onto Aaron. Her training's been much better too. When he almost choked to death in the restaurant, it seemed to help unblock the barrier between her and her wolf. For that, I'm grateful. Erik…he's _really_ hung up on finding his mate now, and he's worried that he won't be able to. I wish there were some way to help him."

"He doesn't understand yet that it just _happens_…fate throws us together when it's the right time." said Stiles, interlacing his fingers with Derek's.

"I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl." Danny wondered aloud. The rest of the Pack gave him a startled glance.

Derek only shrugged. "No way to tell. I dated girls exclusively before I met Stiles, so it was pretty jarring when I realized my mate was a male…the wolf knew what I wanted even though I didn't. But one of the things they tell you when you're born into a werewolf family is that you never know, so I just accepted it when it happened…and have never regretted that ever since."

"Same here…Lydia can tell you how hard I crushed on her…but once Derek worked his mystic voodoo werewolf sex mojo on me, it was a done deal. From what Erik tells me, he hasn't had leanings in either direction yet, and doesn't care." Stiles added. "Either way, we support whoever he winds up with."

The Pack all murmured their agreement.

"I'll be pretty surprised if Christine and Dylan don't wind up together. They're such a perfect match." Jackson told Scott, smirking.

"Don't remind me. I cringe at the thought of having a Whittemore in my family." Scott pretended to puke in his beer.

"My daughter is definitely keeping her maiden name." said Allison Argent-McCall.

The rest of the Pack rolled their eyes. "Whittemore-McCall sounds like a company that makes dishwashers." Lydia argued. "And the other way doesn't work. Besides, that possibility is a million years in the future…I hope."

They all chuckled, and as the night wore on, the crackling flames and the song of the crickets provided accompaniment to the bittersweet musings they shared of their long-ago youth.

{}{}{}{}

Erik lay awake in bed and stared at the ceiling, which was encrusted with glow-in-the-dark stars he and his Pop had put up there eight years ago. A thought had occurred to him while he raced through the forest with his new friends, inspired by Amy's advice at the party. Werewolves, like true wolves, operated on a deeply instinctual level; signaling their hosts when they found the right mate. Perhaps this whole 'finding' thing worked because the wolf knew who it wanted (even if Erik didn't) and knew _where_ to look without him being conscious of it. If Erik could somehow ask the wolf for help, he could follow where it led him and find his mate that way. He didn't know exactly how to do this, or if it would even work…but he was going to try. He closed his eyes and slept, and in his dreams he could almost see the face of the one he was meant to be with…

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The next morning (which was a Saturday, thank all the gods) Erik showered and dressed early, leaving a note for the family and grabbing only an apple before making his way outside. He hopped in the Camaro, filled it at the nearest gas station and drove to the center of town, parking near the old stone fountain. He turned his awareness inward, and tried to commune with his inner wolf.

_'Come on, boy. Show me where to _go.' he thought.

Nothing happened.

_'We've got to find the one we're supposed to be with. Any idea which direction they're in?'_

Still nothing.

Feeling stupid for trying it, he fired up the engine and glanced in the rearview mirror only to notice that his eyes were glowing amber. He reached a hand up to his face and traced a finger along the lids. This was very strange…he hadn't called up the wolf in the usual way, and didn't _feel_ shifted…but his eyes were definitely wolfish. He shrugged and pulled out of the spot before heading to the main road. He came to the intersection where he normally turned left for home, and surprised himself by turning right. What the hell was going on? He distinctly remembered directing his hands to turn the wheel left. Now he was heading out to the highway, which would leave Beacon Hills behind. If his wolf were trying to show him the way…how far could his mate possibly be?

Giving free rein over to his body (which seemed to know what it was doing) Erik passed the exit for White Rapids, taking the one for Red Falls. On the main drag, he slowed the car down, more to look around than comply with local speed laws. He pulled up to a small diner and parked. A neon sign proclaimed that the establishment was known as "Stucky's Eats", though a few of the letters were out. (It spelled Sty's Eats now in a bizarre coincidence.)

Erik walked in though he wasn't really hungry, donning a pair of dark sunglasses to hide the wolf eyes. The diner contained only two customers; an elderly couple sitting in a corner. An overweight guy in a dirty white apron stared at Erik while polishing glasses with a filthy rag. The place had an unwholesome aura, and it seemed strange that it had passed a Board of Health inspection.

"Help you?" asked the counterman, sounding like he was being ordered to be courteous at gunpoint.

Erik had no desire to eat here; the guy had a sour predatory odor.

"Yeah, I'd like something to drink. Um, got anything bottled?" he asked.

The guy smirked and pulled a Coke out from an ice chest under the counter. He slammed it down in front of Erik.

"That's $3.50."

'Geez, for a freaking soda?' Erik thought to himself. He slapped a five on the counter. "Keep the change."

The five disappeared in a wink. Stucky (if that's who he was) went through the swinging door into the kitchen just as Erik got up to leave. A thread of scent came through the door, and his head snapped towards it as a tremor rocked through his body.

He knew with every fiber of his being that his mate was somewhere in the kitchen of the diner.

Stucky came out and walked towards the front door.

"You're out front! I'll be back in thirty." he shouted through the swinging kitchen door.

A pale teenage boy in an even filthier apron than Stucky's came out and gave Erik a passing glance before gazing over at the elderly couple. Then he looked back at Erik as if suddenly noticing him.

"You being helped?" he asked. His eyes were deep green, and his hair a chestnut brown. He seemed too thin, and there were dark circles under his eyes. On each wrist, he wore a wide leather strap. His jeans were old and faded, and the sneakers were falling apart on his feet. Only the t-shirt seemed new; it was green and a portion of the logo for the Green Lantern was visible. A comic book fan. Inhaling his scent, Erik got that roller-coaster feeling Laurie was going on and on about…it was almost too much to bear. The wolf was wide awake and alert, and it was feeling…anxious?

"Yeah, I'll have another soda." Erik sat back down again. The boy gave him an amused glance, noting the unopened bottle he still clutched.

"You must be thirsty. That's $1.75."

Erik paid him, feeling a surge of anger at the older man for cheating him. When the boy took out the second bottle, Erik told him "Keep it, it's on me."

The boy smiled. "Thanks. I'm Robin. You're not from around here, are you?"

"Beacon Hills. I'm Erik…I never met a real Robin before."

"My dad was a big fan of the old Batman television show. He met the actor that played Robin, and the guy was so nice to him that he named me after the character. It gave me a few problems at school. I love the DC comics, but Green Lantern and the Flash are my favorites. Batman is 'meh'"

"I hope my Pop never hears you say that. He's obsessed with Batman. So am I, my Pop let me read all the comics he collected." Erik laughed, trying to appear casual while inwardly wondering how the hell he was going to work up the nerve to ask him out.

Robin tried to twist the cap off the bottle, then hissed and rubbed his wrist, slamming the bottle back on the counter. Erik caught the alarming odor of blood. It took all his willpower to keep the wolf at bay…and it was a losing battle. The wolf was literally _panicking_.

"Here, let me." Erik easily twisted the cap off.

"My hero. Thanks, Batman."

The comment, though slightly sarcastic, nevertheless thrilled Erik's wolf and was giving it the edge it needed to emerge. He got up quickly (not missing the alarmed look Robin gave him) and excused himself before heading to the bathroom.

Once he was locked inside, he whipped off the shades to reveal the smoldering amber Glare of the wolf staring at him from the mirror.

"Listen boy, I am all for this but you have _got_ to pull back a little bit or we are going to freak him out and lose our chance to-"

Without warning, the wolf subsided. Erik's eyes were their normal deep brown once again. Erik sighed with relief and put his shades in his jacket pocket. Robin was still sitting there, and Erik glanced nervously at the clock. He didn't want to have to deal with Stucky again if he could help it.

Trying to sound as casual and ordinary as he could, he looked off to the side and said in a too-offhand tone "Maybe you can come over sometime and see my comics…I can think of three or four issues that might make a Batman fan out of you yet."

"I think I'm beginning to see him in a new light already." Robin told him…and Erik felt all the blood in his body head south for an _extended_ vacation. _Holy crap_ these feelings were powerful!

"Well, cool. Let me give you my phone number." Erik recited it while Robin quickly programmed it into a rather cheap looking cell phone. Robin gave him his number too…both boys were feeling the pressure of time and circumstance, for different reasons.

"Um…I don't have a car. And I don't exactly have any days off…" Robin began uncertainly.

"No days off? But-" Erik's next words were cut off by the sound of the front door swinging open. Stucky's scent preceded him into the diner, and Robin's spiked sharply with fear. Erik's dormant wolf was suddenly back on high alert, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut until his shades were once more in place. When he opened them, Robin was wiping the counter as if he'd been doing it for a while. At a glance from Stucky, he fled back to the kitchen without saying 'goodbye'. Instinctually playing along, Erik grabbed both bottles of soda and dropped them into the garbage pail even though Robin's was still half-full. He somehow knew it would be bad for Stucky to find out Robin was socializing with a customer.

Erik got up and left, heading back out to his car. He started it, but sat there for a good ten minutes wrestling with himself. The wolf did not want to leave; every instinct was screaming for him to go back in there and just claim him; Stucky could interfere at his peril. There was definitely something going on with Robin, and whatever it was, it was going to prevent Erik from being with him. He ground suddenly sharpened teeth in frustration, clenching the wheel in his hands until it seemed to warp in his grip. A clear mental image of Stucky lying in about two dozen bloody pieces made him growl pleasurably in his throat before he banished it, slightly horrified.

Erik drove back onto the road and headed home as fast as the law allowed. At any moment he was going to lose control, and he wanted to be home when he did.

His uncles were all present when he got there; in an amusing reversal of the night before, they were having a training session in the back with his father all in their matching shorts. Stiles was not taking part, though it was an even guess whether it was at his request or theirs. Lydia and Allison were playing with their children at the swing-set. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Erik cursed under his breath. He wanted very badly to be left alone, preferably with something large and shreddable. Laurie appeared out of nowhere, jumped in the car and took off (without so much as a good-bye), probably to see Moose, leaving that line of escape closed.

"Hey Erik! How about you get changed and train with us! Your uncles want to see how much you've learned!" Derek called.

"Now's not a good time, Dad!" he said, trying desperately to control the urge to roar out a challenge at them.

"Chicken!" Jackson called, jokingly. Derek gave Jackson an annoyed glance, while Erik froze. Within him, the line between the human and the wolf disappeared. Erik slowly turned around. His jacket dropped on a nearby chair, along with his shades. He reached up one clawed hand and ripped through his t-shirt as he shifted more than he ever had in his life.

All of them stopped and looked at him, and inhaled the furious scent he gave off. The girls shaded their eyes to see what was going on, even Dylan and Christine were paying rapt attention.

"Erik?" called out his father, uncertainly.

The teen charged them.

{}{}{}{}

That night, as Jackson, Ted, and Danny were trying to ignore the maddening itch as their broken bones mended themselves, Derek and Scott did their best to try to get Erik to calm down. Scott was just a few bandages short of being a mummy, and Derek's injuries (some of them even more severe than the others) had only healed already because he was the Alpha. He'd had to transform completely to subdue his son, and had _still_ needed the help of his head Beta.

Erik was tied to a chair, still fully shifted and ignorant of the dozens of scratches that were still closing. His claws were sunk deep into the wood, and he seemed not so much to be trying to escape the chair as _kill_ it. He stared ahead at nothing, and refused to speak.

Stiles came in, shaking his head and carrying a hot cup of tea that had been made according to Derek's special instructions. It was an old family recipe.

"The girls are looking after the walking wounded. Scott, you may as well go join them. This'll teach you all not to forget that a hormonal teenage werewolf can _kick your asses_ when he's provoked." Stiles waved Scott out of the chair and he hobbled painfully away to join the others. With difficulty, they got Erik to drink the tea. After about ten minutes, the wolfish features faded away, and he collapsed exhausted into almost a trance-like state. His claws had to be pulled out of the wood so they could recede back into his fingers.

Derek shook his head. "I have never seen any wolf go crazy like that. He could have torn off Peter's head and used it as a basketball." Derek slashed through the ropes holding his son in the chair, and slung him over his shoulder before depositing him on his bed.

The Pack spent the night in the guest rooms and turned in early. Derek and Stiles went to bed only after Laurie returned home. They gave her the short version of the day's events, and she bit her lip, worried. When Stiles went to hang Erik's jacket in the coat closet, his cell phone fell out and only Stiles' new reflexes saved it from shattering on the tile floor. He glanced at the screen, which was displaying the recent text messages.

"Laurie? Who's Robin?" Stiles asked.

Laurie searched her memory. "Robin? No idea. I don't know anyone at school by that name. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"No idea, but whoever it is writes that _'It was really great meeting you today. I hope I can come over some time and see your comic books.'_" Stiles closed the phone with a snap. "Okay, it's official. I've just turned into my father." He put the phone in the coat pocket, snapping the pocket closed. "You don't think…"

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. "After his performance today, I don't think there's any doubt. The mystery mate has been found. The only question is, why is he so upset? I'd think he'd be doing cartwheels or something. I guess we'll find out in the morning."

About two hours after they all went to bed, a still semi-dazed Erik crept from his room and tracked the scent of his jacket to the closet. He retrieved his phone and collapsed weakly back onto his bed. The tea had dampened his ability to shift, and blocked out some of the wolf's anxiety…but he still had to confirm Robin was okay before there could be any chance of sleep.

There were three new text messages since the one Stiles read.

_'It was really nice meeting you today.'_

_'I think I may be free tomorrow. Diner's closed on Sundays and Uncle Carl will be away.'_

And finally,

'_Um, you still there?'_ The time stamp was five minutes before.

Erik tapped the keys as fast as he could.

_'Yeah, I'm here. Had some family stuff to deal with. You can totally come over. What time should I pick you up?'_

He waited for a response. The seconds dragged slowly, and Erik imagined that he was too late; Robin had shut off his phone and gone to sleep, writing Erik off as an asshole and deleting his message unread. Then the phone beeped.

_'As soon as you can.'_ Came the odd response.

Dawn saw Erik flooring the accelerator and racing away from the Hale house towards a filthy diner that contained the most valuable thing in the whole world. Erik sent off a text that he was on his way, knowing Robin might be asleep for hours yet. Erik planned to sit in the parking lot until he got a reply, and whisk Robin back, hopefully in time for breakfast. The phone beeped before he had even left Beacon Hills.

_'Nice of you to keep me waiting. I'll meet you out front.'_

Erik grinned, and the wolf howled its silent approval in his mind. He hoped Robin would get a kick out of the Batman t-shirt he'd picked out.

The grin managed to stay in place long enough for Erik to spot the other boy standing in the parking lot of the diner; he seemed to be leaning against a wall for support. When Erik pulled in, he limped over to the car and slid into the passenger seat with a relieved sigh.

"You okay?" Erik asked.

"Yeah, just tripped." Lie. "Nice car." Truth.

Erik said nothing, just focusing on getting Robin back to the house…the drive to make him…_safe_… overpowering all other concerns. Robin seemed reluctant to talk as well, just leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. He smiled when Erik put on the radio, and picked a track on his favorite CD that he thought would relax his new friend even more.

Robin laughed when he heard the music. "I love Carl Orff. Carmina Burana is the bomb. Can't believe it's a hundred years old."

"It fits all my moods…I can listen to it no matter what I'm feeling and it seems to match."

Robin nodded in perfect understanding. "Hey Erik…what's happening here?" Robin said this while his eyes were still closed, as if he were afraid to see Erik's face while he spoke.

"What do you mean?" It was becoming harder to concentrate. The wolf was studying everything about him; his features, his scent, the sound of his voice and heart and breath. A powerful urge to lick the exposed skin of his neck and trail upward behind the perfect ear had to be savagely fought down.

"Well, don't take this the wrong way…but I'm feeling things that are…well, pretty strong. I know I don't know you, but I've been thinking about you all night." Silence for a beat or two. "Does that freak you out?"

"No…I'm feeling it too. I'm not usually up before the rooster on a weekend."

Robin opened his eyes, the deep green flashing in the bright sunlight. "God…who sent you to me? I feel like you're…" he shrugged, not knowing how to finish.

"The one you've been waiting for?" Erik finished, hoping it fit Robin's thought.

"Yeah. Only I didn't know I was waiting. Things like this don't happen to me."

"Well, it's happening now. And _more_ can happen, if you want it to…shit, that came out wrong." They both laughed.

Erik put his hand on the gear shift, and a second later it was covered by Robin's own. The contact sent a bolt of pure electricity through both of them, and they rode out the wave in silence even as the touch fulfilled every promise of happiness. Robin suddenly pulled his hand away, and Erik had to struggle not to snatch it back. "You okay?"

Robin was giving off the scent of anxiety. "Look, maybe this is wrong. I have a lot of baggage, and you don't want to get involved with someone like me."

Erik almost drove off the road. "Um…look, Robin…I don't care about any of that; I mean, I do but there is _nothing_ you can say that will scare me away. And…you're not the only one who's afraid. I have a pretty weird family. They're nice and all, but we're not exactly normal."

Robin didn't comment, but he took Erik's hand, placing their palms together and interlacing the fingers tightly. The feeling of being a conduit to a powerful source of electricity returned. With the music in the background, it was too beautiful an experience to profane it with words, and so they didn't. In too short a time, they pulled up to the house. They pulled their hands apart and got out of the car. Looking around at all of the Pack's cars, Erik wished he had never fought with his uncles; they would have gone home and he would have a better chance of being alone with Robin. Then they could…

Erik terminated that line of thought, at least for now. He opened the door, and by the grace of Fenris everyone was still asleep. He led Robin quickly to his room, and breathed a sigh of relief when the door was locked fast. Robin shed his coat, Erik fought an urge to laugh at the Robin t-shirt his namesake wore. Robin smirked at Erik's t-shirt in turn.

"What are the odds of this happening?" he flicked a finger at the Robin logo. Erik noticed that he still wore the leather wristbands.

"Million to one. Want to watch tv?" Erik asked lamely.

"Nah, I'm still a little tired. Mind if I sleep till a reasonable hour?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I will too…unless, well I could sleep on the beanbag."

"No, you're bed's pretty big. I sleep on a cot in…" Robin's eyes shone a little, and he kicked off his decrepit shoes and threadbare socks before lying down. He pushed against the wall as Erik curled up next to him after discarding his own footwear. They spooned together, and Erik wrapped his arm around the other boy's waist, holding him tight.

"Um…is this okay?" he asked, before giving in to the temptation to drown himself in Robin's scent.

"Okay? This right here makes everything worth it." A few minutes later, Robin was sleeping deeply as one exhausted beyond endurance.

Erik resisted for about thirty seconds before planting a kiss on the back of Robin's neck. It might have been his imagination, but at that moment he thought he heard the rumbling growl of the wolf's approval in his mind.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N – Wow. Just, wow. Two reviews within 20 minutes of posting the new chap and six more in the morning! What a wonderful thing to wake up to. And yes, I sleep with my iPad within hands reach JUST so I can check for reviews. I was more nervous about this than anything else I've written for obvious reasons. I was terrified about pissing people off who might want Erik to be straight and others who feel I didn't do it right, but you guys are so great and it really means the world to me to see what you wrote. I was going to leave off for a bit as the weekend will be very busy, but to hell with that. So here I am at 7 am, with a severe case of bed head and Mr. Bitey's fangs buried lovingly in my ankle writing the next chap and ignoring all other responsibilities.**_

Erik woke up alone, and a stab of icy terror pierced his heart. He inhaled sharply, and traced Robin's scent to the bathroom, where he heard the shower running. Erik groaned, thinking of him in there twisting and soaping himself under the hot spray. The young werewolf was suddenly at the bathroom door, gently turning the handle. It was locked. This time the stab was pure disappointment. Sighing, and chiding himself not to try to rush things, he crawled under the covers again. Robin came out after a few moments with a towel wrapped around his waist, and wearing his wristbands. They looked dry, so he hadn't showered with them, but Erik was becoming more concerned about them by the moment. He was glad to see that the dark circles were gone from under his eyes.

"I took a shower. I hope you don't mind." he looked as if he expected Erik to yell at him for using up precious water.

"Just that you did it alone." Erik clapped a hand over his mouth. That was _way_ flirty and forward, not his style at all.

Robin laughed. "I thought about waking you…but there was a part of me that still can't believe this is happening; that this isn't just me reading into things."

Erik stood up and yanked his shirt over his head. He walked slowly towards Robin, who backed up against the wall behind him. He took Robin's face in his hands and stared directly into the wide green eyes.

"Read into _this."_ He placed his mouth on Robin's, whose scent spiked with a rainbow of emotions; excitement, fear, arousal and half a dozen others as each of them shared the first kiss of their lives with each other. They pressed bare chests together tightly, their arms winding around each other. Robin was passive at first, but then suddenly battled Erik for dominance as the kiss turned from romantic to one of almost savage passion. Robin's nails raked along Erik's back, and his teeth alternately pulled and bit his lips. As he explored the other boy's mouth with his tongue and they began shotgunning their breath, Erik felt like the top of his head would explode at any moment; his heart was pounding in a fierce scary way. Then panic hit him.

_'The wolf. Holy shit, the wolf is coming!'_ he thought frantically.

He pushed Robin away (needing quite a bit of force to do it, he was stronger than he looked) and turned around, trying to get his breathing under control and fiercely trying to force down the Beta shift that was already showing in his face.

"What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Robin asked, the fear in his voice a painful jab that Erik actually felt. The Beta shift vanished, and Erik turned around.

"No…that was you doing everything incredibly right. I was…I was about to _attack_ you, Rob."

Robin looked relieved, then grinned. "I understand…we should take this slow. But for the record…I _wanted_ you to attack me."

Erik nearly shifted and did just that at the husky tone in Robin's voice. He fought to master himself. "Oh, man you are making this so hard." Erik groaned, than flushed at the double meaning in his words.

Robin laughed and sat on the bed, Erik joining him a moment later. They looked at each other shyly, the experience of baring their souls to each other so new and raw-feeling that it was too much to handle. They joined hands and kissed again, small teasing ones that led to Erik getting his wish from earlier as he slid his tongue up the side of Robin's neck and behind the ear, taking it between his teeth and giving it a small bite…the taste was pure heaven, the salty flavor of the skin mixing with the odors of soap and Robin's natural scent. Robin was shivering next to him, and Erik regretfully pulled away as the wolf once more made a desperate bid for freedom.

"I think _I'm_ going to take a shower…a really cold one." Erik took his clothes in with him; no way could he risk a flimsy towel being the only thing between them when he came out. He had lied to Robin, the shower was hotter than Hell's steam room and he had to take himself in hand twice before he thought the other boy would be safe around him. When he was dressed again in his jeans and Batman t-shirt, he opened the door and saw Robin standing there, just in his shirt and boxers. He was holding his jeans which seemed to have more hole in them than denim.

"I don't know how to say this without wanting to die of embarrassment. Can I borrow a pair of jeans, and maybe some socks?"

"Anything of mine, is yours." Erik told him softly. The idea of Robin wearing something with Erik's scent on it was intoxicating.

Robin looked overcome with emotion, his eyes shining again. "And why is that?"

Not even knowing where the impulse came from, Erik grabbed the front of the Robin t-shirt tightly. "Because _you_ are _mine._"

{}{}{}{}

While all of this was going on, the Pack was eating an enormous breakfast of French Toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and endless amounts of coffee.

Derek was the first to notice the odd scent in the home. He sniffed again.

"Anyone smell that? I don't recognize it. Is there someone here?" The Alpha got up and looked out the window, scanning the yard. No strangers or strange cars were present. Stiles joined him in tracing the scent while the Pack looked at them, amused.

They were halfway down the hall towards Erik's room when both parents flushed bright red and quickly returned to the table.

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Laurie.

"Um…it seems Erik has company." Stiles said quietly, mindful of Christine and Dylan whose eyes were wide and wondering.

"Oh." Said Lydia. Then: _"OH!"_

"What? Since when? He was alone when I checked on him during the night!" Laurie exclaimed.

"You check on your brother?" asked Derek, grinning.

Laurie flushed herself. "Well, you know how he's been lately. I'm worried!" She stood up and gave them all a Glare worthy of the Alpha.

"Listen all of you, I know I shouldn't talk to you like this since I'm a kid and you're all adults, but if _any_ of you embarrass him or make his friend feel weird, I swear I will do _double_ the damage Erik did last night!" She folded her arms, and they all paled at the forbidding expression she wore. Derek and Stiles beamed at her. From the guilty look on Jackson's face, Laurie guessed she had just spoiled his fun.

Christine and Dylan were suddenly on either side of Laurie, arms folded just like hers.

"Yeah! And we'll do bubble damage too!" they exclaimed together.

The Pack roared with laughter, and even Laurie's stern face cracked into a grin.

{}{}{}{}

Erik came out of his room and froze when he saw that the entire world's population of werewolves seemed to be sitting at the dining room table.

"Dad, Pop. I have a friend over; I picked him up this morning. Sorry I didn't ask first, but it was sort of spur of the moment."

"That's fine, son. Can we meet him? We PROMISE to be nice!" Derek Glared around the table.

"Yeah. His name's Robin." Erik left and returned a few moments later with the other boy. The Pack took in the t-shirts without comment (although Stiles' mouth was hanging open at the sight, and both Dylan and Christine looked as amazed as if the pair were the actual comic book heroes).

"Um, hello everyone. It's great to meet you." Robin said shyly.

Erik made the rounds of introductions, taking care to introduce his parents and Uncles Ted and Danny as couples. Robin looked much more at ease afterward.

"Robin is from Red Falls, I met him yesterday where he works. We have a lot in common." Erik tried to stop babbling, but could barely help himself.

Stiles came to his rescue. "Well, please join us for breakfast, boys. Robin, what can I get you to drink?"

"Oh, um…orange juice is fine, thank you so much." Robin said politely.

The boys ate quietly, and both Derek and Stiles made sure to keep the conversation going so that the other Pack members wouldn't stare as the two shared glances and passed each other plates of food, never failing to brush fingers together as they did. Erik went to help with the dishes after breakfast was over, but Laurie shooed him away and both Dylan and Christine were attempting to drag the two outside anyway, so they just gave in and followed the two pre-Lycans to the yard.

Lydia and Allison caught up to them and had brief whispered words with their children before sending them off, but only Erik heard the kids respond "No wolf-talk Mommy. We know." Erik took a moment to grab an extra pair of his sneakers and gave them to Robin to wear. Robin flashed him a grateful smile.

They spent a good two hours playing games with the kids, ranging from hide-and-seek to freeze-tag to tether-ball, and it was soon clear that Dylan and Christine had come to adore Robin as much as they did Erik and Laurie.

Erik kept looking at the sun tracing its way across the sky, and wished he could anchor it in place so that the day might never end. The idea of driving Robin back to the diner had as much appeal as driving him to his execution. He would never rest until he was sure that his mate was safe. But how could he do that when he didn't even know what was going on?

The Pack eventually left, leaving only Derek and Stiles who decided it was time to catch up on some of the business paperwork.

"I'm supposed to meet Aaron at the mall. Want to join us?" Laurie asked her brother.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. That okay, Robin?"

Robin nodded hesitantly, but seemed uncomfortable.

"Okay Laurie, we'll meet you outside." Erik took Robin by the hand, and they walked towards the Camaro. "What's wrong, you don't want to go? It's totally okay, we can do something else."

"Um…no, it's not that…I just don't have any…" Robin turned away.

A light bulb suddenly flashed in Erik's brain.

"Robin, this is our first date, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." he grinned.

"And _I_ was the one who asked _you_ out, wasn't I?"

Robin nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"Then it's my job to show you the time of your life. Don't worry about…anything. I meant what I said before."

"But it's not fair, Erik. I don't want to be…I mean, if it only goes one way, I'll feel like I'm a…ugh! Nevermind, maybe this is a bad idea."

Erik felt that panicky sensation from his wolf again.

"Rob, I've known you for about twenty-four hours and all I want to do is show you how much I like having you around. I'm…not trying to _buy_ you for Pete's sake, I'm trying to _impress_ you…to show you that I'm… good enough to be with you."

Robin sighed. "Okay, just don't go too…overboard? This is very new for me."

Erik nodded as Laurie jogged up, and got in the back seat. Erik and Robin got in, and Laurie proceeded to do most of the talking, with the three main topics being:

Grilling Robin on how he and Erik met,

Erik's embarrassing personal habits, and

How difficult it was being the sister of a nerd.

Erik put up with it good-naturedly; Laurie could have confessed to torching his entire CD collection and been safe from his wrath as long as he was holding Robin's hand, which he did the entire trip to the mall.

It was the work of a few minutes to locate Moose, who stood head and shoulders above the crowd, so to speak. He shook hands with Robin, quickly identifying the nature of their relationship without even a raised eyebrow.

The four teenagers roamed the mall, stopping for the occasional snack and browsing through the clothing stores. Both Erik and Laurie had quite a bit of birthday money left (the Pack was always very generous to each other's children) and they decided to try to spend as much of it as they could. Moose came from a pretty well-off family, and joined them in the fun. Erik took Robin into a comic book store, where he bought him a rather expensive Batman & Robin statue that had the Caped Crusaders in action poses standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Erik, I can't, that's really expensive!" Robin complained when it was offered to him.

"Aw, come on…it'll remind you of our first date." Erik wheedled.

"Fine…but please let's keep it at your house. I don't have any place to keep it, and I'm worried…something might happen to it."

Erik's grin faded. "Robin, what exactly is going on-"

"Oooohhh, that new slasher film is playing…and it starts in five minutes! You guys want to go?" Laurie called.

"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Robin answered, perhaps to get out of answering an uncomfortable question.

Erik bit his lip, and didn't even protest as Moose bought tickets for all four of them. Laurie and Moose made a beeline for the restrooms while Erik and Robin got on line to get popcorn and soda. They were one person away from being served when the last voice in the world that Erik wanted to hear suddenly called loudly across the lobby.

"Hey, look! Turns out Hale's a fruit just like his old man after all!" It was Anson Cooper, and he was with a number of kids from the team. Cooper looked different, as if he'd put on a ton of muscle in the past few weeks.

Robin turned pale and looked ready to bolt.

Erik glared at Anson. "Shut your mouth, Cooper, or I'll shut it for you." He was sure he wouldn't even need the wolf to rip him apart.

"Yeah, Cooper. Who cares? He hits a mean home run, so why are you always on his case?" Sander Fulton (the team's shortstop) asked, giving the catcher a hard shove.

"What the hell, man?" Anson shoved Sander back, hard. "You're going to take that pansy freak's side over mine-"

Sander slammed his fist into Anson's cheek and Anson folded like a cheap deck chair. "My uncle's gay, and he did three tours in Iraq you fucking creep. Get lost."

Moose caught the tail end of the argument as he exited the men's room. "Cooper? I have had it with your bullshit. You're off the goddamn team as of now."

Laurie appeared and took in the tableau. "You don't learn, do you? Give it up, and go home."

"Why? You gonna fight me like a tomboy, always saving your brother's ass?"

Erik walked over to him. "You want to take me on…you name the time and place. Do me a favor and make sure it's out in the middle of nowhere…at night…so it'll be easy to bury what's left of you."

Cooper paled, and Erik wondered (but didn't particularly care) if the Beta features were present. The bully got up and looked around, noting that every person there was looking at him with loathing.

"Screw all of you." He turned and walked out.

"Good one, Sander. Thanks for being stand-up about that." Moose clapped the shortstop on the shoulder, who tried not to stagger under the impact.

"No problem. Cooper's a hemorrhoid. See you at practice."

"We'll see you inside." Laurie told Erik as they went into the dark theatre.

Erik looked around. Robin was nowhere in sight.

He closed his eyes and inhaled, then began to run while following the scent out of the theatre and almost to the exit from the mall. He caught up with Robin who looked shocked to see him.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Find you? Where else would you go? Robin, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to cause you any problems, Erik. That's all I ever do. I can get the bus back to Red Falls from here."

Robin turned to leave, and Erik reflexively grabbed for his hand but only managed to yank off one of the leather wristbands. The sight that met him nearly sent him to his knees. Robin's wrist was a mottled purple, and had numerous scabs covering it. Robin looked at Erik's horrified expression and tore out of the mall.

Erik caught up to him in the parking lot. Robin was out of breath and leaning against an old Buick panting heavily.

"Robin, what the hell is going on with you? Please tell me!"

"Just go away! You don't care, no one cares, that's all he ever tells me, and he's freaking right! I can't do this, I can't feel this way about you because if you're just screwing with my head, then I am _over_, I am so done with all this bullshit! I swear I'll jump off a building or hang myself, I just can't-"

They both heard the noise of the engine at the same time. A red Mustang bore down on Erik, Anson's furious face visible through the windshield. Erik turned towards the car and his claws shot to their full length. This was it; if the turd thought he could take down a pissed off werewolf with his car, then he was about to get the surprise of his life. He growled, looking forward to the pleasure of tearing apart first the car and then the driver.

In retrospect, he should have seen it coming. Robin didn't know anything about werewolf reflexes or durability or healing factors. Robin just knew that the first person he had ever cared about was about to be run down, no doubt too frozen with fright to move. And because Robin valued the life of that one more than his own, it should have been obvious to anyone what would happen next.

Robin dove at Erik and knocked him out of danger. Erik turned around on all fours, and noted in a split second that Robin bore an expression of vast relief that he had acted in time. Then the world was filled the thunder of death on wheels.

Time slowed down and nearly stopped. The car was moving in incredibly slow motion. Like a film advancing a single frame at a time, the car got closer as Robin slowly turned to face his death. Nearby, the Batman and Robin statue lay on the pavement, the Robin figure smashed to powder. Erik's eyes flicked to it and back to the car. It was less than three feet away from his mate, still traveling in slow motion. Robin had turned completely to face it, and closed his eyes.

'_Oh no, please don't let this happen!' _ Erik thought randomly. But it was too late. Not even a werewolf could prevent the tragedy from playing out.

The human part of Erik froze. The wolf _inside_ him did not.

In a nanosecond, he was on his feet. The car was now two feet away from Robin. In another instant, Erik's feet were planted and he launched himself forward with cannonball force. The car was now a foot away. Somewhere, deep in the forest around the Hale home, an enormous Pack of wolves (nearly fifty in number), long absent from the state of California for decades…all stopped their activities and snapped to attention. Their eyes were a range of colors from smoky amber to sky blue and even blood red. Each pair of eyes burned brightly as if lit from within, and they howled a single clear note that seemed to rip the sky in half. Erik's body rippled like a heat wave in a mirage. For a second, he was no longer a boy. He was not a Beta, or even an Alpha, which to some degree bore a trace of humanity. For a split second, he was a legend come to life…a story as old as the werewolf race and nearly forgotten as their numbers dwindled over the centuries. For a moment, he was an Avatar of _Fenrir_ itself, the Beast of Ragnarok. It was there and gone, the gigantic Wolf said to be imprisoned and bound by an unbreakable thread since time immemorial, and in that moment, it acted.

A massive _paw_ slammed itself into the side of the car with hideous strength…and knocked it looping sideways through the air away from the boy on the ground whose eyes were still closed in acceptance of death.

The wolves ceased their howling. If Erik had been there to see them, he would have thought all of them were grinning.

Erik fell to the ground unconscious. Robin waited, and wondered why he wasn't dead already. The sound of an automobile crashing to earth made him open his eyes. He looked at the burned rubber tracks of tires that led right to the spot where he lay before stopping abruptly.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N – Just a warning, there are dark themes in here regarding abuse.**_

When Erik didn't come back to the theatre, Laurie got up and left Aaron sitting in his seat. As she passed, he gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. Laurie could never describe to anyone the happiness she felt that her brother was feeling the same euphoria of new love right now. The thought that the two boys were not in danger but probably off somewhere snogging made her flush, but she had been the protective sister for so long that she couldn't stop even if she wanted to. Once she made sure he was okay, she would go back and enjoy the movie.

Entering the lobby, she saw that people were buzzing around, talking excitedly about something that happened in the parking lot. Feeling a chill shoot up her spine, she found Erik's scent and tracked it down to the exit. Outside, an ambulance waited and several police cars were parked with the lights flashing.

Bursting through the doors, she saw Erik's body on a stretcher being loaded into the back of the medical vehicle by some paramedics.

"ERIK!" she shouted. She shouldered her way through the police officers (who were stunned that a teenage girl knocked them aside with such ease) and confronted the one that looked like he was in charge.

"That's my brother. What happened?" she demanded.

"He seems to have fainted, we can't find any injuries on him. His life signs are fine, but we need to run some tests at the hospital. If you want, you can come with us."

Laurie looked around frantically for Robin, but didn't see him. She noticed another ambulance a ways off.

"What happened over there?" she asked, pointing.

"We're not sure. Some kind of car accident…"

"I'll meet you at the hospital!" she called as she raced to the other scene. She had to find out if Robin was alive. If what her grandfather said was true that a werewolf died when their bonded mate was killed, that would explain why her brother was unconscious.

Anson Cooper's Mustang was upside down on the pavement, and they were pulling his body from the wreckage. There was a lot of blood, and one sniff told her that the bully was no longer among the living. A paramedic pulled out a bag of pills and another that contained a needle and some bottles of liquid.

"Looks like steroid abuse, among other things. I bet the toxicology will come back with some interesting results." He shook his head.

Swearing, Laurie tried to recall Robin's scent. Calling it up in her mind, she cast about for the trail, and followed it to the bus stop. Apparently he had decided to go home. How could Robin have left her brother lying there like that?

'Oooh, wait until I find you, jerk.' she muttered to herself. She had grown to like the young man, but _nobody_ abandoned her brother and got away with it. She texted Aaron to meet her at the car, and her parents to meet her at the hospital. Both responded that they were on their way, so Laurie jogged over to the Camaro, thanking the gods that she and Erik had their own sets of keys.

She picked up Aaron, and told him what she knew. He was shocked at Anson's death, and slammed his fist into his leg when she told him about the steroids.

"That stupid kid…we lost a player last year like that, I knew him for years. I swore never to let anybody play if I thought they were using. I thought your brother was using that first day, but he said he wasn't and his blood came back clean when they did the mandatory testing. I'd like to know how Anson got away with it! What do they think is wrong with Erik?"

"They said something about running tests. I guess we'll find out when we get there."

The teenagers met Derek and Stiles at the hospital and were shown to Erik's room where he was awake, but yelling and screaming that he had to leave. He calmed down a bit when he saw his family, but still looked ready to wolf out at any moment.

"Erik! What happened?" Derek tried to calm him with the subliminal Alpha command that worked on his Betas from time to time, but it seemed to have no effect.

"Dad, Anson Cooper tried to run me over! Robin knocked me out of the way and almost got killed! I have to find him, I think something's going to happen to him!"

Laurie felt a flash of guilt at this news; she had assumed the worst of the young man. "Anson's dead, and Robin's missing. I think he took the bus for Red Falls." With Aaron present, she didn't want to say _how_ she knew.

Erik looked at her, terror on his face.

"What do you think's going to happen to him?" Derek asked urgently.

"Under those wristbands he was wearing. It looks like someone had him chained up! He has this creepy uncle that runs a diner in Red Falls, Stucky's Eats! Please Dad, I need to go him, if anything happens to him…"

Derek noted with alarm that his son's eyes were starting to glow…and not the amber that was typical of a mid-rank Beta, but the fiery crimson of a Pack Alpha. The werewolves all sucked in a shocked breath.

"Holy shit…" exclaimed Moose.

"Crap. Aaron, let's go. We're finding Robin and getting him out of there, if he was crazy enough to go back. I'll explain everything on the way." Laurie turned to leave, but her Pop stopped her.

"You're not going without me, young lady. Derek, stay here and try to keep Erik…under control! You're the only one that can do it now!"

Derek nodded. "Be careful. Call me as soon as you can!"

When the three got to the Camaro, Stiles put out his hand. "Keys."

"Dad!" Laurie exclaimed.

"Dad, nothing. I plan to break every speed law in the book, and you're too young to have all that on your record. Call Grandpa and tell him to keep the Smokies off our backs."

Laurie shrugged and handed him the keys, wondering if he even knew how to drive a muscle car after years in charge of the "Mom-mobile". As it turned out, she knew very little about her father's driving ability. The trip to Red Falls was made in impossible time, with both teenagers screaming in white-knuckled fright as the Camaro's engine was pushed to the limits.

"This brings back so many memories!" he said over their screams.

{}{}{}{}

When Robin returned to the diner, 'Uncle' Carl was already waiting for him.

"_Where the hell have you been? Don't you remember what I said I'd do if you ran away from me?"_ Carl slammed his fist into the side of Robin's head, and grabbed the dazed boy by the shirt, nearly ripping it from his body as he was manhandled into the back, through the kitchen and up the stairs to the small apartment over the diner.

Robin was actually not any blood-relation to this man. He had been kidnapped from an amusement park when he was six years old after he wandered off while his mother and father were distracted. For ten years, he was subjected to a variety of physical abuses, not the least of which was being chained to the back wall of a narrow closet, sometimes for a day at a stretch. The chains were adjusted so that he had to spend the time standing on tiptoes, leading to painful muscle cramps in his legs. Through it all, he was repeatedly warned that if he ever told anyone or tried to run away, Carl would track down his parents and murder them while they slept. Carl made that threat to Robin so many times, the boy had never spent a peaceful night under this roof except on the rare occasions Carl left him alone for a night. Another person in this situation might have tried to escape anyway, but Robin's mind had been thoroughly screwed with for more than half his life. He was told over and over that no one cared that he was gone, and no one would care enough to do anything if he asked for help. Sometimes Carl would scream at him or even strike him in front of customers, all of whom would fail to intervene on his behalf. The constant torture and ever more evil and inventive things Carl came up with to cause him pain in body and mind wore him down almost to a mere cipher of a human being. He was emotionally dead inside, unable even to feel hatred for his captor anymore. Fear was so constant, it was almost a way of life. He never knew when it would happen, but he was sure that one day Carl would go too far and kill him. At least if that happened, Robin's parents would be safe. Robin barely remembered them and had forgotten his own last name years before. The memory he had shared with Erik about his father was really the only one he had.

Erik…

As Carl chained him up in the closet, Robin's mind retreated into a private internal world, a trick he taught himself years ago. Whenever Carl did unspeakable things like fasten binder clips to various parts of his body until the pain became white hot or repeatedly put a plastic bag over his head until he passed out over and over again, Robin could withdraw and pretend it was happening to someone else. He did this now even as his body was turned around, and he was punched repeatedly in the kidneys while Carl screamed at him. Somewhere, above the pain, Robin relived the pleasant memories of the past two days.

When Robin first looked at Erik sitting there, he quickly dismissed him as he did nearly everyone else he looked at. But then he took a second look…and felt a spark of feeling that was a completely new experience for him. Erik in turn was looking at _him_; Robin could tell even though the other boy wore dark shades.

Robin found himself noting every detail, and that balloon of feeling got larger and larger in his chest. While they spoke, Robin finally recognized the feeling; it was hope. Somehow, he knew that everything would turn out all right as long as Erik was around. It was impossible to explain why he thought this, but he was completely sure. When Erik got up to visit the rest room, Robin almost panicked at the thought that he might leave. Desperation and fear warred inside him. What if Carl found out? What if he tried to hurt Erik like he hurt Robin? Or kill him?

Robin resolved to let Erik walk out, giving no indication that he was interested in his company. This lasted right up until Erik returned, without the shades. One look at the dark brown eyes and Robin might have bartered away his own long-forgotten mother just to drown himself in them. They exchanged numbers, and Erik left when Carl returned. Robin's phone only texted; it could not be used to make calls. He sent out a text as soon as he had a minute alone, and three more over the course of the day. None were answered, and he felt the newborn hope dying inside him. As he curled onto the cot in Carl's bedroom, his face wet with tears, the phone beeped. Terror lanced through him as he looked over at Carl, but thankfully his tormentor was already asleep. He quickly shut off the text alarm.

'_Yeah, I'm here. Had some family stuff to deal with. You can totally come over. What time should I pick you up?' _Erik wanted to take him away! If only it could be forever.

'_As soon as you can.'_ Robin sent it off before he could change his mind.

Carl woke him up at about four in the morning, and chained him up for a good hour before releasing him. He handed Robin a list of chores.

"And if they aren't done, you'll hang in there till Christmas!" he barked.

Robin had done longer stretches without trouble, but today of all days a vicious cramp started in his right leg, and he was unable to walk even after Carl let him down. The bigger man laughed at him before leaving. Robin got dressed when he recovered somewhat, and wondered when Erik would want to get him. He would try to get as many of the chores done as possible so he could spend more time with him. The phone beeped almost as soon as he was dressed, however. He finished pulling on the 'Robin' t-shirt and picked it up, reading the brief message. Erik was on his way. Robin's heart leapt in his chest, and he marveled at the feeling. What the heck was going on? Why did Erik make him feel this way? Did Erik feel anything for him in kind?

He put on his leather wristbands to cover the new and old injuries from the restraints. He knew the penalty if anyone found out about what went on here.

Robin looked at the inspirational poster Carl had hung on the inside door of the closet as a cruel joke. A baby monkey hung from a vine, looking terrified. The caption read 'Hang in there!' He wanted to tear it down and rip it into a million pieces. He was too afraid to.

He went downstairs and waited for Erik in the parking lot (after first making sure that Carl's truck was gone…sometimes he liked to be tricky).

During the car ride to Beacon Hills, the feeling of hope returned again, and it swelled even more when he realized that, impossibly, Erik liked him as _more_ than a friend. Robin was growing more and more convinced he felt the same way.

At the house, locked safely in Erik's bedroom, he slept for three hours…and it was a deep black relaxing sleep that he could not ever remember having. He showered when he awoke, slipping unnoticed from Erik's arms and examining the bruises on his wrists in the locked bathroom. He wondered if Erik knew he was hiding something, wondered what he would do if he found out. When they kissed…Robin almost believed the years with Carl were a dream…and that he had _always_ been here with Erik. But surely the Hale family would be annoyed at his presence, would surely demand that Carl come and pick him up when they found out about what the boys were feeling for each other.

Instead, the Hales and their friends (especially Laurie, whom he fell in love with immediately) were the picture perfect family he had always imagined was waiting for him somewhere. They genuinely welcomed him among them, and seemed to want him to stay. Christine and Dylan, though older than he was when he was taken, reminded him eerily of that long ago child he had been. He shuddered to think of what Carl might want to do to them.

Erik was really nice…taking Robin to the mall, buying him that present, even offering to take him to the movies, (he had no desire to see a slasher film, but he had to avoid Erik's persistent questions) it all seemed too much…he was not _used_ to such treatment. Then, someone that Erik knew was _attacking_ him for being with Robin. Erik stood up for him, but the idea that _Robin_ was the cause of even the slightest distress for Erik made him want to run back to Carl's and begin torturing _himself_. He fled while Erik was distracted (as he once did many years ago) and tried to get to the bus stop. There was still time, he hoped, to get all of the chores done before Carl got home. Then, when the inevitable text came that said _'Look, it's been nice knowing you, but I really don't care about you anymore'_ he would not be the worse off. The good memories, however brief, might be enough to sustain his sanity for a few more years.

Then Erik found him, and even worse…found out about The Secret. He saw the injuries on Robin's wrists, and could guess what Carl was doing to him. Surely now he would turn his back in pity and disgust…

It was when they argued in the parking lot, just as they heard the engine of the car racing towards them, that Robin finally knew. As Erik turned to face the oncoming vehicle, he seemed somehow…fierce…unafraid…even eager to face danger. And Robin knew that Erik wasn't like the other people through all the years that ignored Robin's pain.

Erik would fight for him.

That single piece of knowledge made Robin love the other boy with his whole heart. He couldn't let anything happen to him. Not to him. So Robin shoved Erik out of the way, and waited for death to release him from the misery of his existence, closing his eyes in relief that Erik was safe.

There was a tremendous crunching noise, and he felt a wind on his face, and the sound of the engine faded away. For a second, he thought the car had hit him and that he was floating away to whatever fate awaited the newly dead. Then there was a second crunch, from far away. Robin opened his eyes, and saw the tire tracks and Erik's body nearby. The car must have struck Erik instead of him. Robin got up and walked away in a state of shock to the bus stop, blending in with the crowd who as always failed to notice him. The slow and lethargic bus was just pulling away from the stop, but paused to let him on.

Now he had nothing…the miracle was over. It was time to go back and find Carl and accept his punishment so that Robin's parents would continue to be safe. Maybe this time, he would egg Carl on until he went too far. The idea appealed to him.

{}{}{}{}

"_You will never leave this place again! You're mine! Do you hear me? MINE!"_ Carl shouted, spraying Robin's face with flecks of spittle.

"Nope." Robin said softly.

Carl paused in his raging, taken aback. Robin had not answered back in almost ten years.

"_What did you say?"_ he asked in a deadly voice.

"Not _yours_. _Never_ yours. _His_. _Always_ his. He told me so." Robin was delirious with pain, but still enjoyed the look of fury on Carl's face.

Carl looked at him before turning around and picking up a plastic bag, the kind he often used for take-out orders in the diner downstairs. He pulled it over Robin's head and tied it tight. If the boy had the backbone to defy him, then he might have the backbone to turn him in to the police. Carl couldn't take that chance. In his own way, he would miss the boy. It had been ten years after all.

Downstairs, he heard the sound of the back door shattering inward.

{}{}{}{}

"We're just a few minutes away." Stiles told his daughter and her boyfriend. His eyes gleamed a bright gold. Aaron turned to Laurie. Hers were glowing a deep blue.

"Laurie, why are your eyes doing that?" he asked, in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Aaron, my family are all werewolves. Can we _please_ talk about this later?" Laurie hissed at him through clenched fangs.

He nodded. Yeah. Later was a good idea. If there _was_ a later.

They pulled into the parking lot behind the diner. Stiles had been here as a teenager many years before. It was called something else then, and the food had been fantastic. But Red Falls had become poorer over the years, and the owner had decided to get himself in the wind while he could still make a profit. They got out of the car and looked up at the sign. Sty's Eats.

"That sounds like a prediction…especially if he's hurt that boy." Stiles said grimly. Then he shifted, the Beta form emerging with the speed of a switchblade. He shattered the door with one blow of his fist.

"Laurie, in the back there's a box labeled 'Lydia's Emergency Kit'. Open it, and follow the instructions inside. Have it ready when I come out."

Stiles entered the diner. Laurie found the box and opened it. She pulled out a worn copy of 'The Notebook', and found bottles of various chemicals. She read the labels, and then the instructions on the inside cover of the book.

"Holy shit." she muttered.

"Werewolves?" Aaron asked again.

"Later, Moose!" she snapped back. She began mixing as fast as she could, taking the utmost care. She didn't notice when the jock disappeared.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles sniffed around, and looked sharply upward. Snarling, he walked quickly through the kitchen door at the back of the diner and found the stairs that led upward. He bounded up and took in both the terrified (and soon to be deceased) captor and the chained and suffocating Robin hanging in the open closet. Carl stood up, and that one movement was enough to provoke Stiles into action. His right hand with its fully extended claws tore open the human monster's neck in a spray of bright red blood. He was over to Robin in one fluid motion and ripped open the plastic bag so that the boy could breathe. Stiles hyperventilated rapidly, the knowledge that he had just killed roaring through him.

Moose ran up the stairs and stepped into the room. He was pale and shocked, and took in the corpse of Carl Stucky and the fully shifted Stiles with a terrified glance.

"You…you killed him…" Moose breathed.

"He needed to die. Look what he did." Stiles pointed a claw at the closet.

"Oh, man! Holy shit, is that Robin?" The sight of the boy seemed to snap him out of his funk.

"Yes. And if he were to die, then _my son_ would die. _No one_ gets a second chance to make that happen. Moo-…I mean Aaron…my daughter loves you, and that means _your_ life is precious to me as well. None of us will ever harm you. I have never killed before today…but I would kill _that_ again in a heartbeat."

Moose nodded, though he still looked panicked.

"I need you to support Robin while I break the chains. Please be careful with him. When he's free, take him down to the car."

Moose put an arm around the unconscious boy. Stiles yanked free first one chain and then the other. Moose carried him swiftly down the stairs, the chains trailing behind him.

Stiles looked around briefly before glancing down once more at the freshly killed corpse. Cold fury filled him.

"Sty's Eats indeed." Stiles suddenly plunged his claws deep into Carl Stucky's chest cavity.

{}{}{}{}

Laurie finished up just as Moose carried the chained Robin out of the diner.

"Oh my God! What happened to him?" Tears started to pour from her eyes.

Moose shook his head, and they gently laid Robin down in the back seat. A minute later, Stiles emerged. He was covered in blood, and held out a clawed hand, in which Laurie placed a large bottle. He waved them into the car.

"I tore the gas line. The place should be filled up right…about…now!"

He tossed the bottle through the doorway, where it shattered into oily flame.

Stiles hopped in the driver's seat and fired up the engine, pulling out just before the entire building exploded.

Moose and Laurie looked at the building, and then down at the unconscious boy in his chains. Finally they glanced at each other.

"If you break up with me over this, I'm _so_ going to kick your ass." she said, still crying.

Moose Bradley had never met a girl like Laurie in his life, never seen anyone so strong, so secure, so self-confident…so wolfy. She had no idea that he'd been gone on her completely within a week of their first date. The idea of breaking up with her (even for something like this) was completely ludicrous.

"I love you, Laurie Hale."

She threw her arms around him, kissing him long, hard and deep, and didn't let go until they were back in Beacon Hills.

"Um, kids…" said Stiles uncertainly.

Eventually, Laurie called her father, and told him what happened. "Should we bring Robin to the hospital?" she asked. She felt she had seen enough of them to last her a lifetime.

"No…your brother was very specific about what he wanted." he said quietly.

Laurie covered her mouth with her hands, looking down at Robin. "Dad…you're going to bite him?" Stiles and Moose gave her an alarmed look.

"No. Erik's going to do it."

{}{}{}{}

They pulled up to the house, and unloaded Robin from the back. Erik met them, and insisted on carrying him into the house. When one of the chains snagged on the ground Erik irritably shattered the wrist shackles and left the lengths of steel where they lay.

Erik carried Robin to his room and shut the door, leaving the rest of the family to wait. He placed his mate on the bed, and tried to prepare himself for what had to be done. He still did not have a clear idea of what happened at the mall. All he knew was that whatever occurred, had elevated him to Alpha status. He felt the power in him, ready to be seized…or to be gifted to another. Derek had tried to argue with him, cautioning him that the bite didn't always take.

"It's going to take _this_ time, Dad." He couldn't say how he knew…but he did. Robin almost died twice tonight, and Erik was not going to allow it to happen ever again.

He felt sad that he would have to hurt him to keep him safe…but there was no other way.

"I promise you, Robin, this is the last time you will ever feel pain because of me." Erik looked up at the ceiling, his eyes taking on a blood-red glow. Fangs far larger than he was used to began to crowd his mouth. He looked down, holding the full shift in check. Where to do it? He finally settled on the left wrist, closing the teeth on the old and fresh wounds, the abused flesh puncturing far too easily for his liking. The taste of his blood was electrifying and Erik tried hard not to enjoy it. Robin whimpered in his sleep as Erik released his jaws and pulled back. He licked the wounds on both wrists, until they began to fade back to a normal flesh tone. Robin moaned louder.

"Yours." he said.

"Mine." Erik agreed.

{}{}{}{}

Robin woke up alone, and a stab of icy terror pierced his heart. He inhaled sharply, and traced Erik's scent to the bathroom, where he heard the shower running. Robin groaned, thinking of him in there twisting and soaping himself under the hot spray. The young werewolf was suddenly at the bathroom door, gently turning the handle.

The door swung open easily. Trembling, Robin stepped inside.

Erik stood there, whistling while he washed his hair under the jet of steaming water. He grinned through the curtain when he saw Robin standing there.

"I took a shower. I hope you don't mind." Erik called out to him, whipping the transparent curtain aside.

"Just that you did it alone." Robin smiled back.

"Then _get in here_."

Robin was only too happy to comply.

{}{}{}{}

Erik and Robin did not come out of their room for a full day. Moose and Laurie did not come out of _their_ room for a full day. No one attended school on Monday.

"I think we may be losing our whole 'parental authority' mojo with the kids, Der." Stiles complained while the two ate a lonely dinner that night. Derek, staring down at his plate of untouched food, had no reply.

{}{}{}{}

The Hale siblings spent the majority of the time telling their mates the history of the family, what it meant to be a werewolf and what choices the future might hold. Moose contemplated what it would be like to have Laurie's strength, speed and power…but elected to remain human for now.

Robin simply could not believe the new powers he was now heir to. He kept looking at the clean unmarked flesh of his wrists wonderingly, and with Erik's help quickly learned how to shift. When he learned of Carl's death, he cried…though certainly not because he missed the monster. It was because that whole period of his life had died with his captor…never to return.

No one was implicated in the burning of Stucky's Diner or the death of the owner. Beacon Hills High mourned the accidental death of Anson Cooper, and his distraught parents waged a personal war on steroid use that got them news coverage, lucrative book deals, and even their own television show.

An unofficial search was done for Robin's parents, using missing person's reports from the date and time of his abduction. Robin's last name turned out to be Stark. His mother killed herself a year after his disappearance, unable to bear the grief of losing him. His father, who once had met an actor who played Robin and named his son after the character, was killed when he drove his car into a ditch while heavily intoxicated a few months after the loss of his wife. Robin had been an orphan for years, but still held in captivity by the threat to his parents. It turned out that Robin's parents were rather wealthy, and that Stucky had probably imagined ransoming Robin back to them before deciding it was too risky. With the help of the District Attorney, who was a personal friend of Derek's, the funds were transferred to an account in Robin's name…and proceedings were begun for him to be adopted by Danny and Ted. After a placement test, Robin was allowed to start at Beacon Hills High as a junior, the same grade as Erik and Laurie. On hearing that his parents were dead, he simply sighed, and stated that he hoped they were at peace. The Hales took him to where they were buried so that he could say goodbye.

Although Erik would have preferred to have Robin stay with the Hales, Robin deserved parents who could focus exclusively on him. Erik and Robin were always together at school and most of the time after school…and always alternated sleep-overs on weekends. Ted and Danny had installed a pool, and so that summer the Hale Pack could be found there making full use of it.

During a sleep-over at the Kean/Turner home, Erik and Robin got into bed on the luxurious King-sized bed in his new room. The room had no closet, just an ornate wooden wardrobe. Robin couldn't abide a closet in his room.

Erik pulled Robin's back into his chest, wrapping his arm tightly around his mate, giving him the usual goodnight kiss on the back of his neck.

"I love you, Robin." Erik whispered, closing his eyes. He grinned slightly, waiting for the response.

"I love you too, Batman." Robin gave his hand a light squeeze.

_**A/N – Once again thank you all for the fantastic reviews which have kept me writing like a madman. This chapter sounds like an epilogue, but it is completely not…I just wanted to resolve Robin's plot and set the stage for the next events. Lots of mysteries that still need to be explored, don't worry. I'm glad you guys liked him so much, he was a very compelling and at times difficult character to write.**_


	12. Chapter 12

While Erik equated freedom with running through the forest at night, for Robin it would always be swimming in the pool at the Kean/Turner home. Sometimes, like now, he would take a deep breath and just hang suspended a few feet below the surface with his eyes closed and imagine he was in outer space, an endless void terrifying in its sheer vastness, the opposite of the tiny constricted closet he had been forced to live part of his life in.

Bubbles poured from his mouth as he growled deep in his chest at the thought…and he felt the _ot__her_ within him rouse itself…the one being besides Erik he could always rely on to protect him…not that he needed protection anymore. Stucky was gone, and Robin was not the same scared child he had been…and most importantly, he had a family now.

He kicked and broke the surface, taking in a clean breath of air. The concerned face of Ted Turner, one of his adoptive fathers smiled down at him.

"You make me nervous when you do that, Robin. I think that was almost three whole minutes." He said, trying to direct the pool vacuum around his adopted son.

Robin grinned. "Sorry. I can get out if I'm in your way."

"In about five minutes, I'm going to be jumping in myself. I want to get in a few laps before the entire Pack jumps in and empties the water out of the pool."

Robin laughed at the thought, happy as always that he would see Erik again, and get to feel that powerful electric current running between them whenever they touched. He was becoming quite addicted to it.

His time with his adopted fathers was a unique experience for him. At Carl's, his captor gifted him with clothes only when the ones he wore were absolutely ready to fall apart. He had only ever eaten at the diner; while the food was abundant, it wasn't exactly top quality. He ate mostly salad…that seemed safe enough. On the rare occasions Carl was pleased with him, he showed his affection by grabbing an exposed piece of skin and twisting it hard…ears were the favored target. Aside from Erik, who was a special case, Robin rarely allowed people to get within a few feet of him. Backing away or shifting to the side had become an almost subconscious dance routine.

All of that changed when the adoption was finalized (during which Robin decided to keep his newly recovered last name). Robin was taken shopping the first day, and they went to the Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch and told to purchase whatever he wanted. He bought everything but t-shirts at these stores until he had quite a wardrobe. But for the last, it was always Spencer's and their endless line of super-hero or even super-villain shirts. Of course, the one that he stocked up the most on was 'Robin'.

Uncle Ted was at least as exquisite a cook as Stiles, and Robin was treated to so many new and wonderful dishes that he thought he would actually gain some weight… if not for his new metabolism.

The two fathers had to go to a 27 hour pre-adoptive training class over the course of a month to prepare them for the kind of issues Robin might have…and this proved very helpful to them, especially in the beginning.

Robin was allowed to call them by their names; he wasn't comfortable with any of the 'father' type words. They showed affection in non-physical ways until he gave them their first hugs a few weeks in, once he learned to trust them. The wolf's ability to hear lies and detect negative emotions by scent helped shorten this process from years to days, but it was by no means instantaneous. Robin now had no doubt that his two fathers loved him, and had no wish to hurt him in any way. Their relationship became more and more natural as time passed, and they promised a car for him if he managed to maintain his grades until graduation. Towards that end, they even began teaching him how to drive. The more time he spent there, the less time he spent thinking about the past. He hoped to one day forget it completely. The only time they ran into a problem was when they had told him they would need to lock him up for the full moon.

He freaked. He pictured the closet again, the chains, the vicious pains in his legs, arms and chest. His wrists…

But they showed him the room. It was huge and wide open, and there were no chains. Erik promised to spend the night with him there, that night and every night of the full moon after that. The wolf that now lived within Robin was very much in agreement with this plan, would agree to be _anywhere_ as long as Erik was around. They tried it…and to make a long story short, it was now Robin's favorite day of the month.

He was jarred from his thoughts when Danny came out of the sliding patio doors, the sun gleaming off of his bronzed muscular body. Laurie and Moose were behind him, the first to arrive as usual.

"Hey Uncle Ted, hey Robin!" she called out while Moose waved. Laurie popped into one of the outdoor showers and emerged a few minutes later in a two-piece bathing suit that left nothing to the imagination. Moose stared at her glassy-eyed.

"Go change into your bathing suit, I want to race you!" she told him.

"Yeah, not a good idea at the moment." he whispered in her ear.

"Darling, remember they can all hear you!" she whispered back. Moose flushed with embarrassment.

She sent him into the enclosure, whacking him smartly on the ass as he walked by.

"Not cool!" he called out, locking himself in.

"You liked it last night!" she answered. The male werewolves groaned.

"Laurie!" Moose shouted indignantly from inside the booth.

"Enough of the locker room talk, Laurie, if your Dad hears you he'll go nuclear." Stiles had arrived with an enormous Tupperware of marinated meat ready for grilling. Danny fired up the grill and they began laying the meat on.

Robin did another underwater lap, surfacing just in time for…

"CANNONBALL!" Dylan and Christine, in matching Diego and Dora the Explorer bathing suits took running jumps, hugging their knees in mid-air and causing huge explosions of water.

"I knew it!" Ted called as he looked around at the sopping deck. The Whittemores and McCalls greeted everyone before laying out on the lounge chairs to sun themselves. It was a wasted effort, tanned skin "healed" overnight…but they still enjoyed going through the motions. Jackson, of course, had to do several poses and show off his ridiculous muscles with a look of boredom pasted on his face. Ted, Danny and even Stiles all wolf-whistled at him.

"In your dreams, Stilinski!" Jackson teased.

"Oh, Jackson…" Stiles said pleasantly. "…if I _really_ wanted you…" here his voice turned positively evil. "…I'd _HAVE_ you!"

Jackson turned pale, and he gulped loudly. Ted and Danny laughed

"Just make sure he's returned in serviceable condition, Stiles. I don't want to learn how to clean a house at my age." Lydia remarked as she spread lotion on her white skin.

"Christine! Don't drown Dylan!" Scott yelled before hopping into the low end of the pool.

"Where's Derek and Erik?" asked Allison. Robin was wondering the same thing.

"They left early this morning. They had stuff to do." Stiles said evasively.

{}{}{}{}

"Dad, I _really_ want to go see Robin. Couldn't we do this during the week?" Erik asked, as they hiked through the deep woods.

Derek sighed. "Son, I have to figure out how you became an Alpha in the parking lot of a mall…and figure out exactly what killed Anson Cooper."

"Dad…you know I'm telling the truth when I say I don't remember what happened…but if it _was_ me, well…you know I had no choice, right?"

"I know, son. I _still_ have nightmares about your Pop. And I think being a wolf will help Robin in a lot of ways besides just keeping him safe…but every time we are forced to kill, it just seems someone else comes along to take their place. We were really lucky the Hunter groups haven't caught on to Anson or Stucky. I don't want to be surprised by anything anymore, so we have to figure out this Alpha thing together."

"How do Betas normally become Alphas? I know you can inherit it. And I read somewhere that a Beta that kills an Alpha can claim it. Are there other ways?"

"Several. If a Pack grows too large, the strongest Beta can become an Alpha in extreme circumstances. Son, no offense, but that would have been your Pop. I have never heard of a sixteen year old Beta getting elevated when there were older stronger Betas around. Besides, our Pack isn't that large. There's also a ritual that will elevate an Alpha's mate, which no one knows how to do anymore… or the werewolf can prove himself worthy in some way to whatever powers made us what we are…usually through wolves. And that's why we're here."

Erik shrugged. "What do you want me to do?"

"I believe that the two wolves you made friends with in the forest acknowledge you in some way as their leader, but they have the same rules we do…you have to claim dominance from them. Did you do that?"

"No! I just pretended to bite the first one on the neck. He let me." Erik protested.

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. "Son…that's claiming dominance. You haven't been keeping up with the Discovery Channel lately. They had a whole special on wolves this week."

Erik flushed. It wasn't often his knowledge in something was lacking. "So this wolf made me an Alpha because I claimed dominance? That's crazy!"

"What's crazy is that wolves don't just _let_ someone dominate them. There's something else going on. Besides, two wolves do not constitute a 'Pack', and certainly not one large enough to force an elevation. So I want you to call out to the wolves you met, then maybe we can figure out how this happened. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how to do that."

Erik rolled his eyes. "No, I think I can figure out how to howl."

The teen closed his eyes, and opened them to reveal crimson orbs. He threw back his head, mouth opened wide to reveal prominent glistening fangs and howled into the cloudless sky. It reverberated through the forest, and even Derek had to cover his ears with his hands. The power in his call was palpable. No wolf that served him would be able to resist.

Erik ceased his call, and gave a pleased grin to his Dad. "Not bad, huh?"

Derek grabbed his head and ruffled his hair fiercely. "You sounded just like your Uncle Scott when you said that."

"Is it true that the Alpha gets stronger when he has a large Pack?" Erik asked when his Dad released him.

"Yes. If more wolves joined your Pack, you would become stronger, and so would they. According to that special on TV, you can see wolf packs as large as thirty or forty wolves."

"I wonder if I have more than one or two? Hey, there he is now! No, the markings are different. There's another! No, that's not him either." Erik looked around, suddenly noticing that they were surrounded by wolves.

"Holy crap." Derek muttered.

The wolves just kept coming. They lost count after three hundred. Every one of them fought for space to lay themselves down at Erik's feet.

{}{}{}{}

"It's about time you guys got here! I was getting worried!" Laurie called from her inflatable raft as her brother and father came through the side gate. The raft was suddenly overturned by Moose, who must have had some unconscious death-wish. Laurie shifted in her panic and punctured the raft with a sharp claw. It deflated with a loud raspberry sound. She blinked glowing sapphire eyes as she surfaced and fixed them on her laughing boyfriend.

"Ooooh, you are so dead!" She tackled him, trying to duck him under to no avail since he was tall enough even in the six-foot section to stand firm. The struggle nearly turned into a make-out session, when Stiles cleared his throat loudly. The two teens grinned unabashedly, but separated for the time being.

"Everything okay?" asked Robin, climbing out of the pool and giving Erik a wet hug,

"Well…I'll tell you later. I just want to have fun for now." He pulled off his damp shirt and kicked off his sandals before jumping into the pool, pulling Robin along with him. Dylan and Christine swam for them like piranha to a goldfish, and they had a good game of 'Marco-Polo' going, which was hard to lose with werewolf hearing.

Derek yanked his own shirt off, and stepped out of his jeans revealing his bathing suit underneath. There were more wolf-whistles (Derek still had the best body of all of them), but the Alpha didn't smile. Stiles sat next to him.

"How'd it go?"

"You were right. He has a pack of real wolves. Sty…there were hundreds of them!"

Stiles paled. "How could they go unnoticed? There would have been something on the news, hunters running around trying to kill them…"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure they're normal wolves…there was something odd about them. Sty…that's a tremendous amount of power for a sixteen year old kid. I thought it was impossible, but now I _believe_ he knocked that car spinning across the parking lot. The strength you'd need…" Derek shook his head.

"But why should ordinary old wolves make him so strong?" Stiles wondered aloud.

"Sty, you learned a lot from books over the years…but you have no idea what you're talking about. Wolves are the real thing…_we_ are just the pale imitation. A werewolf's strength is measured by how closely he can transform into one of _them_."

"Ah. Okay, so wolves are awesome. Now what do we do?"

"I don't know." Derek looked over at his son splashing around in the pool with his mate. "I just really hope no one else pisses him off. Or Robin for that matter. He's one to watch out for too."

"Robin? Why, because of what he went through? The mating bond should have undone some of the psychological damage."

Derek shook his head. "Erik has control of the largest wolf pack the world has ever seen, and Robin is now a member of that pack, the sole Beta, not to mention the Alpha's mate. If _he's_ put to the test…"

"No one ever told me that being a parent would be so goddamn frightening." Stiles remarked, shivering.

{}{}{}{}

The envelope arrived in the last week of July. Laurie opened it excitedly, and read through it. She had written him numerous times over the past few months before getting this single reply. At long last, she would get to meet Adrian Harris and learn more about her mother. She asked Aaron to go along with her, and he agreed readily. Harris was the chosen mate of a werewolf, which implied that he had to have some decency…but that had been a long time ago.

On the day appointed in the letter, they took Aaron's car (an open topped Jeep reminiscent of her Pop's long ago ride) since Erik had made off with the Camaro to take Robin to some amusement park. They drove to Harris' address in White Rapids, where he recently moved.

He answered the door, a tall man in his fifties with thick glasses and thinning blond hair. Moose got a chill looking at him; Harris could well be an older version of himself.

He looked at the two of them, particularly Laurie before gesturing them inside with a trembling hand.

They took a seat on his sofa while he sat in a Boston rocker, sighing with relief.

"Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Harris." Laurie said poilitely.

"Your welcome. Young lady, you are the very spitting image of your namesake." He said in his clipped, rather condescending tone of voice.

"I've heard that a few times. All I have to go on is this picture. She handed him the photo album, opened to the picture he took in the forest.

His eyes shone, and his once again trembling hand stroked the picture.

"I loved her more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone." he said gravely. Hearing his steady heartbeat, Laurie felt a little guilty for being wary of him.

"I understand. Can you tell me a little bit about her? What she thought about being a werewolf? Did she like it, or did she have trouble with it? You stayed human…did that…" here Laurie glanced at her mate. "…make things difficult for you?"

Harris considered his answer.

"Laura embraced the wolf, right up until the moment she became the Alpha. After that, it seemed like she blamed it for the loss of her family." He sighed. "When Laura first told me what she was, I asked her to have her father turn me. Erick Hale didn't believe in turning humans, felt it went against the natural order. I was disappointed, but kept pestering Laura to try to change his mind. Eventually, she told me she thought he was right. All I wanted was to be…equal to her, worthy of her. I felt that being a human meant that I was weak, and that she would always see me as weak. Who knows? Maybe I was."

He stood painfully, and got himself a glass of water before popping some pills from a bottle. "Can I get you two something to drink?"

They shook their heads, and he returned to his chair.

"We…we argued. It was a terrible fight, the only one we ever had. I'd had too much to drink…" he shook his head. "I would have _died_ for her. You…can hear that's true?"

Laurie nodded.

"But when I realized that she would remain young while I continued to age…well, that wasn't how I thought it should be."

"My grandfather told me that if a mate dies, the werewolf wastes away and dies too. Wouldn't she want to turn you knowing her own life was at stake?" Laurie asked.

Harris gave a dry rattling laugh. "I told her the same thing. She had no answer, but I knew she was hiding something. I confronted her father. Erick Hale told me that the werewolf only dies if the mate is _killed_ by violence…not as the result of a natural death like age or sickness. In those cases, they eventually select another mate."

He seemed to fold into himself in the chair, becoming smaller and more frail.

"Nothing else could have made me end our relationship…the thought that she might one day find _another,_ and turn _him_…after I was gone…"

He was silent for several minutes before he spoke again.

"You see Laurie, turning your mate represents the height of commitment! Werewolves _cannot_ die of natural causes! The _only_ way they die is by violence…so, when you seal yourself to a _turned_ mate, you guarantee that this will be the _only_ mate you will _ever have_!"

Moose and Laurie looked at each other. This was way more than they bargained for.

"But for the human?" He laughed unpleasantly as he turned his gaze on Moose. "You will never love another for as long as you live, whether you remain human or accept the bite. That is a pleasant choice for us, is it not? If the one we love is killed, we either follow them into death as a werewolf, or _live for years, unable to love as a human!_"

"Holy shit…" Moose breathed.

"Then, at the lowest moment of my life while I lay there in a bar, half-dead from being drunk…_she_ showed up. She started to talk to me, she was sympathetic, I told her all about Laura and…well, I betrayed a trust. I swear to you I would never have done it if I had not been so intoxicated. I wasn't even sure the woman was real…I kept fixating on the necklace she wore, the damned howling wolf. That's what got me started on it. I told her everything, more than any Hunter should ever know…because that's what she was."

"Kate Argent." Laurie said softly.

Harris looked at her and almost seemed to growl at the name, and his blue eyes flashed.

"Yes. That was her. Her, and her filthy revolting family. Do you have any idea how many humans have wound up like me because of them? How many broken mockeries of men and women they have left behind because their mates were slaughtered? But me…it was my fault just as much as hers. I told her about the Hales…about the night of the full moon when they locked themselves in the basement. That's when she changed the subject and started asking me about my work…about chemistry. She asked me questions…and God help me, I answered them. The Hales burned, and Laura and Derek were the last of the family, but for Peter who was more dead than alive. Laura inherited the Alpha power. Now, if she wanted to, she could turn me herself. I asked her just one time. When she refused…well, we broke up for good this time. She took her brother and left Beacon Hills; forever I thought."

"You didn't tell her what you did?" Laurie asked. She was torn between feeling sympathetic and wanting to smack him.

"I…truly didn't know at the time." He said hesitantly.

"You're lying."

He laughed. "Allow me to delude myself a little. Yes, I knew that I had revealed too much…but it was not until _after_ Laura left that I realized who was responsible for the fire. Am I telling the truth?"

Laurie nodded.

"I never knew about Hunters, that there were people who dedicated their lives to destroying werewolves wherever they found them. If I had known, perhaps I would have been more cautious…one night I was in a bar very similar to the one where I betrayed Laura and her family. Some of them were there, joking about the fire and the victory over the 'monsters' that they had won. They talked about how one of their own, without naming her, had tricked one of their human lapdogs into giving them the information they needed. They had no idea that they were referring to me. I fought them in a rage, and I was beaten nearly to death. I wished they had killed me. I _was_ only a chemistry teacher after all."

"I know Laura came back after six years." Laurie said.

"Yes. She was drawn back by Peter, I now understand. She came to me first, which is when I finally confessed to her, and told her about the necklace that would lead her to the Argents. I broke down, begging her not to turn me, but to kill me. She refused. She said 'Peter, you will never feel my teeth in your flesh.' Just like that. I told her that I never meant for the fire to happen, that I would give my life to prevent it or undo it. She knew I was telling the truth. So she forgave me. But she could no longer bear the sight of me. That was the last time I saw her. She was killed by Peter, who wasted no time in finding me and demanding to know what I knew. I told him, and I think he would have torn me apart but for Derek's interference. But Derek heard everything I said, and while Laura forgave me, he did not. I wish sometimes that he had not interfered…at least I could take joy in knowing that the Hunters would be slaughtered. Kate was killed, vile bitch that she was…oh, excuse my language! I saw her picture in the newspaper, her name revealed to me at last…and that of her family. I hoped that Laura would be able to find peace. I kept up with news of her descendants…did you know I taught one of your fathers?"

"Yes." Laurie did not want to tell him that he taught quite a few of the werewolves in the Pack. Her parents had warned her never to reveal a werewolf's identity to someone who didn't already know.

Harris laughed, noticing her reticence.

"You do not fully trust me. Very wise. Yes, I know about all of you. My sources of information are much more refined than they were back then. The Whittemores, the McCalls, and Mr. Turner and his partner Mr. Kean. All werewolves. I have known for years, and done nothing. You won't betray people you loved like I did, do not worry."

Laurie let out a breath. "Sorry."

"Don't be! You are very like Laura, you know. You have the mannerisms as well as the looks. She was slow to trust as well, despite her power to hear lies. My curiosity about you was the only reason I agreed to this interview! But I don't feel I have answered your questions… Laura was fiercely proud to be what she was. She felt they had a higher purpose, some responsibility to do good in the world. She searched many old books and questioned many strange people to find the answer. I do not know if she ever found it. When she became Alpha, all of that changed. There was no _joy_ in it for her anymore…she felt that even if the werewolf was meant to be a boon to mankind, that man no longer deserved the help they could give. She blamed the wolf, but it was not the wolf that destroyed her spirit…it was the cruelty of men."

"Thank you so much for telling me all of this. I know this must have been painful for you."

"It is a relief to tell someone who understands. If you ever need to talk about anything, I am here. I will find anything that I still have of Laura's and turn it over to you. Perhaps this will allow you to know her better. She was a remarkable woman."

Laurie bit her lip. There was a question she wanted to ask, that he would be in a unique position to answer. But it required a degree of trust. She decided to take a chance.

"Look. I'm worried about my brother. He recently found his mate, and the boy was almost killed twice in the same day by two different maniacs. Plus, somehow, he's an Alpha now too."

"Is he?" asked Harris. "Go on."

"He has…a tendency to lose control, especially when it comes to his mate. Is there any way to stop an Alpha that goes on a rampage without hurting them? For the first time in our lives, he is way stronger than me and…I just don't think I can protect him anymore."

Laurie flushed and tears started to leak from her eyes. She thought of the incident when he beat almost the entire Pack into submission the day he met Robin…and then the day he apparently threw a car across a parking lot and killed another teenager. It wasn't that she thought Anson Cooper deserved to live…but she didn't want her brother to get targeted by people like Kate Argent. When he was pissed, he became an unstoppable juggernaut. She wasn't sure if even the family would be safe the day Erik went off the deep end.

"Bring him here. I'll show you a trick that will bring an Alpha werewolf under your control. If he ever does give in to anger and rage, you will know how to handle him. I promise it will not hurt him in any way."

"Thank you. I'll see what I can do."


	13. Chapter 13

As Erik and Robin walked through the turnstile and entered the amusement park, memories long buried suddenly unearthed themselves and hit him with an almost physical force. Human beings often experience a flash of memory when confronted with a long forgotten scent from their childhood. Werewolves however, like most canine creatures, have a vastly larger capacity to retain and categorize scents…as well as the proportionately stronger ability to call up memories associated with them. As the scents of sawdust and popcorn and caramel and cotton candy and roasting meat assaulted his nose, he was suddenly transported backwards in time ten years, when a frantic Robin searched the park for his mother, unaware that she was doing the same for him. (Robin's father had dropped them off to get the car's oil changed while they were there.) Bad luck dogged mother and son several times as they just missed each other in the crowds. Instead of finding his mother, Robin was found by Carl Stucky.

"Are you lost, little boy?" he asked.

"I don't talk to strangers." Robin told him, as he had been schooled.

Carl flashed him a fake badge. "I just met someone who said they lost a little boy who sounds just like you. Do you want me to take you to…her?" Carl took a chance and guessed a pronoun, since there were far more mothers present in the park than fathers.

"You know where my Mom is?" asked Robin, eyes wide.

Carl smiled broadly. The kid was dressed in expensive clothing, and would probably fetch a pretty hefty ransom. Running a diner in a deadbeat town was not helping him pay off his gambling debts. Soon the guys whose job it was to casually break your legs and thumbs (or if you were _really_ late with your payments, your neck), would be coming to see him.

"She's at the office, about five minutes from here. I'll take you to her."

Carl took Robin's hand and the child did not protest (though on some level he must have disbelieved, since he kept glancing around him hoping to spot his mother).

They arrived at Stucky's car, a non-descript gray van outfitted with phony license plates. Inside the back, a metal mesh effectively turned it into a cage. Stucky took a chloroform soaked handkerchief and suddenly covered the frightened boy's face with it. When he was out, Stucky put him into the back of the hot van and hid him under a tarp in the back in case he got pulled over by a nosy cop. The rear doors were padlocked from the outside. There were no windows. The van pulled out just as Mr. Stark drove up, in time to meet his frantic wife, her tear-streaked face red and swollen. Neither gave the van a second glance as it carried their son away.

Robin had a great deal of difficulty adjusting to his new life with Stucky, but he learned…eventually. Stucky was a compelling teacher. Once he abandoned ransom as a viable plan (too many of his buddies were getting caught), he just decided to keep the kid as free labor and a way to work off his ever-present aggression. The kid represented everything Stucky hated; a snot-nosed rich kid born through sheer accident into a life of privilege while he had grown up in Hell's Kitchen to a life of poverty and violence. It wasn't fair; so this was his way of balancing those scales.

Now, Robin had once again entered a new life, a life that he had never dreamed was possible. He was safe; surrounded without by a large family of people who cared for him, and an inner companion whose wrath was terrible… a wolf who suddenly roused itself to full alertness as old and frightening memories came to life with each inhaled breath. His eyes flashed bright blue, and his skin rippled like waves on a beach as new muscles swelled beneath the surface.

Erik sensed his mate's shift at once; they were holding hands when Robin's grip suddenly became crushing.

"Robin?" he said, alarmed. The Alpha wolf within him also communicated with Robin's inner companion, reacting out of pure instinct.

_(Stand down NOW!) _it sent.

_ (Danger! Enemies!) _The Beta wolf responded. Robin's claws speared into Erik's palm, bringing thin blood and sending a rapid stream of images that showed his kidnapping, and the long years of torturous captivity. The Alpha reeled at the onslaught.

_(That was long ago. Stand down.)_ The Alpha's mental voice was tinged with sadness now at the pain his mate had suffered. Something had to be done to protect him.

Neither boy was fully aware of this conversation between their inner wolves, but Robin shifted back to human. Erik let go of his mate's hand and licked his palm free of blood, the wounds already closed. It seemed that none of the crowd had noticed; only five seconds had passed from start to finish.

"I'm sorry-" Robin said, with a breaking voice and shining eyes.

"Hey, shhh…it's all right." Erik hugged him tightly, unmindful of passersby. "I didn't know. I would never have brought you here. I just thought we could have fun."

"Please. I need to get out of here."

"We are _so _gone. There's something I want to show you anyway." The idea just occurred to him, out of nowhere.

An hour later, they were roaming the woods each clad in similar pairs of black running shorts. At long last, they came to a stump of an incredibly huge and ancient Mountain Ash, the largest example of the tree in the entire world. It resembled a great table, and seemed to have faded lettering carved in the bark. The timeworn runes were in a language unknown to the boys…but the wolves inside them recognized the written warning at once. "Know this, O Traveler…as with Yggdrasil, the World Ash Tree…beyond Me, other Laws apply." A triskelion symbol was burned into the bark at the end of the message.

"What did you want to show me?" Robin asked, grinning. His mood improved greatly since they left the park.

"I wanted to introduce you to your Pack brothers. Want to meet them?" Erik couldn't wait to see Robin's eyes light up with wonder. He couldn't imagine why he hadn't thought of this before.

"Pack brothers? You mean Ted and Danny and all the rest?" Robin quirked his eyebrows.

"No, that's my Dad's Pack. I have my own, and you're in it, but so are a whole mess of wolves. They won't hurt you, but if you don't want to see them…" The thought that Robin might be afraid had only just occurred to him.

"Are you kidding? I'd love to! Call them right now!" Robin had never sounded so excited. He instinctually shifted, and Erik was silenced for a moment by the strength and power evident in the Beta form that seemed to wash away all of the hurt and vulnerability stamped permanently in his human features. Gods, he looked beautiful with fangs…

Erik shifted fully himself, clothing tearing from his body as the sight of his mate excited both him and the _other_ within him. He tackled Robin to the forest floor, playfully pinning him to the ground as they nipped and scratched at each other. They did what came naturally to them and joined as beasts, but with human hearts and feeling. Erik howled from the bottom of his soul at the end, and though it was not a summoning call, they were nonetheless joined by all of their Pack mates…much more than ever before. Erik's Pack was growing by the day; and must now number close to a thousand. The forest was _alive_ with wolves that seemingly came from nowhere, of every color and description. They gave joyful howls at the sight of their Alpha and his chosen mate, and following some buried primal signal the wolves matched themselves up with their own chosen mates and paid homage to their leaders, allowing both boys to claim dominance over them all. The wolves scented the boys, and were scented in turn so that they might always recognize each other and if need be go to each other's aid.

One and all, the wolves sat in mated pairs around the two boys, looking at them expectantly. Then they turned and walked off, looking back now and then to see if they would follow. The route they took through the trees was roundabout, as if they were not so much traveling to a location, but tracing the outline of some giant spiral sigil. They returned to their starting point at the old stump, but then continued on in a new direction, tracing a second spiral. The wolves led them down a third winding trail and back before they finally stopped in a part of the forest Erik could not remember ever being in before; the smells were different and all wrong. Instead of the stump, a small lake now lay in the center of the design. Without knowing how they got there (swimming or just walking on the surface of the water were likely guesses) they were in the middle of the small body of water where lay a tiny island no more than thirty feet across. A sense of age and timelessness permeated the place. The sun, previously bright, seemed distant and old-looking, as if it shone on a dying world. The ground was black and hard, and nothing grew here. When they stopped at last, they could see that the wolves stayed on the shore, encircling the entire lake. In a trance, Erik slowly brought his right wrist up to Robin's mouth. The Beta, in a similar trance, took the offered wrist in his jaws and bit deep. The blood dripped down to the black earth, splashing the surface of an enormous flat stone that lay buried and forgotten beneath layers of dirt.

Had someone taken the time to clear the debris from the ancient dais, they would have found it engraved with numerous pictograms predating any written language that seemed to depict wolves and men and things in between. The largest of these illustrated a gigantic wolf bound with a magic thread and buried beneath a large stone. The pictograms told the story of the imprisonment of Fenrir through the deception of the gods. A sword stuck into its mouth caused its blood to taint the water, and any men who drank from the water soon became as wolves. Those who earned the full blessing of the Wolf, either through Trial by Combat, the Need of Many, the Ritual of Mating or the Rite of Sacrifice (these pictograms showed a man offering the heart of a newly slain beast to a wolf) would be granted a more powerful form and the ability to bestow Fenrir's Gift on human men. The most worn of the pictures showed a man with the triskelion emblazoned on his body. Two children knelt at his feet, one bearing the symbol for the sun and the other the moon. Over their heads, a lunar eclipse marked the day the imprisonment of Fenrir would end…

The island began to shake beneath their feet as the blood seemed to soak into the stone. The distinct feeling that they were standing on top of some buried monster awakening from an eternal sleep flashed through their minds too quickly to recognize. The stone glowed dimly crimson, before the light suddenly gathered, pooling upward into Robin's body…even as his eyes changed from a sapphire blue to a bloody crimson.

An unknown amount of time later, they were back on the lakeshore and shortly after that in a familiar spot not far from the Hale home. Neither boy remembered the journey or the events that took place, but each recalled the wolves leaving them one by one, only awakening from the trance when the last one had vanished.

"Erik? What just happened?" Robin asked.

"I'm not sure. I think…I think the Pack just gave us their blessing." Erik knew there were better words to describe the feeling, but the memories were becoming hazy and indistinct, as if they had happened in a dream…which, in a way… they did.

"Hey, where are your shorts? And where are _mine_?" Robin asked, more bemused than embarrassed.

Erik burst out laughing. "I have no freaking idea! I think we must have…"

"Yeah, we did. Guess we forgot to put them on again afterward."

"Let's get into the house…we can get in through my bedroom window. Hurry, before my Dad catches…"

Robin sniffed. "Too late."

Derek ran up, having scented them from the house.

"Hey, what's up…oh, what the hell! Where are your clothes? Get in the house and get decent, right now! Aaarrgghhh! Minors having sex! Gross! I'm blind! I need therapy! There should be laws against that!"

Derek covered his eyes as the two ran for it, laughing despite themselves.

"I am in soooo much trouble!" Erik breathed once they emerged from his bedroom in the clothes they wore to the park.

"Yes, you are!" Derek agreed. "Robin, I am going to inform Ted and Danny about this! Erik, I am going to be enforcing a strict curfew, and some rules about sleepovers! No overnight guests until you are eighteen! No, I meant thirty!"

Stiles walked in from his office, attracted by all the shouting.

"Yeah, Derek. Because that worked _so well_ for Scott and Allison…and Jackson and Lydia…and Ted and Danny…and you and me!" he said, amused and sad sounding at the same time.

"That was different!" Derek snarled.

"How so?" asked Erik, rather bravely Robin thought.

"_I was an Alpha!"_ roared the Alpha.

Stiles looked at Derek and face-palmed himself.

"Um, _I'm_ an Alpha." Erik stated with calm logic. He wished his father would stop raging for a moment…there was something Erik wanted to ask him about. Something that happened to them in the woods…but what was it? It seemed to be gone.

"_I almost lost him!" _Derek shouted, pointing at Stiles.

Erik gave him an evil Glare. "_Next_ reason?"

"B-but…th-it's not…that's…just NO!" Derek stormed off.

"He should calm down by the time you kids get to college. Go make yourselves scarce." Stiles sighed.

Laurie and Moose walked in at that moment after parking outside.

"Hi, Pop!" Laurie chirped. She seemed way happier than usual.

"Hi, honey. Moose, Derek's in a mood and the last thing in the world he wants to see right now is a happy under-age couple. If the four of you know what's good for you, you'll disappear for a few hours. No later than eight o'clock though, at which point 'visitor's hours' will be over. Tonight's a school night." Stiles went off to find and calm his mate.

The four teenagers looked at each other, and shrugged.

"Anyone up for 'Make-Out Point'?" Laurie asked.

Three hands shot up immediately.

They took separate cars.

{}{}{}{}

About 20 miles west of Port Angeles in Washington State, there lay a mountain named Storm King, a part of the Olympic Mountain Range. Unknown even to the Park Rangers who maintained the trail system leading to the 4,537 foot summit, a concealed entranceway led deep into the Mountain. The complex rivaled NASA in terms of its military presence, technological capabilities and singularity of purpose. They owed no allegiance to any government save themselves, and in fact no ruling body even knew of their existence. It was the central headquarters of werewolf Hunters worldwide, funded privately through big business and billionaire philanthropists with some occult learning. The scale of their operations was vast, their information network second to none. Many who worked for them knew very little about them, and just did their jobs (odd as they may have seemed) without questioning their purpose; reporting animal attacks logged by the police department, sending word of miraculous recovery from injury or disease noted by hospitals and the monitoring of the wolf populations of the world. Those who were allowed into the Hunter's inner circle were not allowed to leave it breathing, lest those secrets fall into the hands of the enemy. The objective of this secret society was twofold; the first (and commonly known) purpose: keep the werewolf population in check by destroying any who were responsible for the death or unwilling 'turning' of human beings. The second objective was all but forgotten to everyone there, and survived only in the very oldest notes and records that now lay unread in their dusty vaults for hundreds of years: prevent the coming of Ragnarok.

In the Great Hall of the complex, the heads of the Hunter families the world over were seated around a great black round table. The coat of arms of each family adorned flags that hung over the seats where the patriarch and matriarch were positioned. The Argent crest was located to the right of the only seat larger than the others. The flag over this chair bore the symbol of a wolf bound by a rope with a sword stuck into its jaws.

Chris and Vivian Argent were the last to arrive in the hall, and they immediately sensed that the real meeting had actually begun long before they arrived. Chris looked grim; this was a very bad sign. Vivian noticed the expressions on the faces of the other clan leaders, and knew at once that the lofty position the Argents once held with this council was in serious jeopardy. Her face remained calm, however. Her cold eyes gave away absolutely nothing. She felt no fear…at least, not for herself.

When they were seated, Creighton Gallows stared at them from his single grey eye…the other had been covered by a patch for as long as any of them remembered. The story was that the werewolf that had done it to him had taken nine days to die.

"So good of you to join us." His cultured voice belied his grizzled exterior. He could easily have hosted Masterpiece Theatre in his spare time. The scar that zigzagged above and below the eye patch writhed hideously as he spoke.

"I hope we didn't miss anything important." Chris responded drily.

"That depends on your point of view. How important is it to you that the last miserable batch of those freaks be wiped off the face of the earth?" Gallows' one eye was fixed steadily on Chris, wanting to absorb every bit of information a facial twitch or eye blink might convey.

"Even though those 'freaks' as you call them have followed the terms of the treaty to the letter?" This from Vivian, in the tone of one discussing the weather. It would be hard to tell which of the Argents were the better poker player.

Gallows chuckled softly.

"Come on, you two. You never really thought they would follow the code…and you never believed even for a minute that we would spare them if they did…which I am not so sure about in any case."

Gallows held a small electronic remote, and clicked the largest button on it. A picture of an upside down car in the middle of a large parking lot appeared on a view screen that descended from a hidden enclosure in the ceiling. One side of the car was caved in as if hit by a wrecking ball. A body on a stretcher was being loaded into an ambulance while a young girl looked on. Chris' stomach turned as he recognized Laurie Hale.

"Interesting coincidence, don't you think? Hale's daughter at the scene of an unexplainable death? Also, the dead boy was a known antagonist of Hale's son…one of three teenagers that made a habit of tormenting him. The father of one of the other boys is dead too, shot by the ex-Sheriff Steven Stilinski right on Hale's front porch."

"I know of it. Henry 'Hank' Porlock came to their home with a loaded shotgun, and fired at Stilinski's son. More than enough reason to take him out. I certainly would have done it." Chris said pleasantly. Vivian gave her husband a light tap with her shoe under the table.

"Do you know _why_ he did it? Porlock's boy and two others were given concussions during an encounter with Erik Hale. Strange that one should be able to take on three so…impressively." The cold grey eye never seemed to blink.

"No one ever said they weren't allowed to defend themselves. Erik Hale left the boys alive, and his father was not the one that killed Porlock."

"Anson Cooper is dead, that goes way beyond defending oneself. And as for Steven Stilinski's son, he was released from the hospital practically good as new after receiving a near fatal gunshot wound. Any idea how that happened?"

"Logic would dictate that he was turned. He _is_ the Alpha's mate after all. No reason to think he was unwilling." Chris' voice was harder now. Gallows knew the terms of the treaty as well as anyone here, but was forcing him to _defend_ the Hales before the Council.

"So there they are, _breeding_ and _turning_ right under your nose…and you saw no need to send word to this Council?"

The Argents were silent. To argue any more would alienate them from the entire Council. They looked around at the other families; many were new and much younger; replacing their own parents who had finally given up on the Hunter life. One and all they looked murderous and angry. Even some of the older ones who had Hunted along with Chris for years were looking at him in disbelief, as if he were sporting fangs and claws and holding a bloody child in his jaws.

Gallows clicked his remote. A new picture appeared on the view screen. This one showed the burned out wreck of what looked to be some kind of restaurant.

"Stucky's Eats. A quaint little hole in the wall in Red Falls. The owner, one Carl Stucky, was the only fatality. Not much of a loss, considering his police record. But the coroner told one of our men something interesting…one of the internal organs was absent from the corpse. Care to guess which one? No? Stucky had a helper, a young boy whose identity was a mystery until very recently. It appears Stucky liked to kidnap his hired help. Terrible life for the lad…but don't worry, he seems to have found friends."

Another click. A picture of Erik Hale embracing the boy at what looked like an amusement park.

Chris swallowed noisily. This was bad. Very bad. Even Vivian was pale.

Gallows continued. "The question that I can't stop asking myself is…are the two of you deliberately blind, or just utterly stupid? I guess the former, since your daughter now 'runs with the Pack', and will soon be joined by your granddaughter."

Chris stood up swiftly. In seconds, he had two dozen laser sights trained on him. He noted them, then grinned at Gallows.

"It appears you have your answer. If you want to slaughter the wolves, I can't stop you. But you do this in violation of the Code and everything this Council stood for."

"Once they are all dead, there will be no need for a Code any longer. Chris, Vivian, your family has done excellent work for this Council over the years. It is only out of that respect that you remain alive at this moment. Go. Go back to the wolves. Warn them of what's coming if you must. Tell them to cherish what time they have left."

Vivian shook her head. The venom in her voice surprised them all, and her eyes blazed with a hatred she had never had for the wolves in all her years put together. _"You imbecile. This will be a war. Both sides will suffer losses, along with innocent people. We will ALL be exposed! Why now, after all these years, do you have to send everything that we've worked to create and maintain straight to hell? WHY?"_

The laser sights were now trained on Vivian. She didn't bother even glancing at them.

Gallows sighed in mock sadness.

"To think that the greatest of all the families could have sunk so low. Do the two of you think you know everything about the wolves? Do you know how they came to be, or why they're here? Do you know what could possibly happen in the not-so-distant-future? To humans? To the world? No? _I do_. That is why I am sending everything straight to hell. Hell is where we will all be if I don't act. I would tell you more…but that information is strictly for members of this Council. Good day."

Uniformed guards approached and gestured with small handheld automatic weapons that held more punch than a magnum (all designed by Argent Armaments) that they should leave the chamber at once. Chris saw the flag with the Argent coat of arms being lowered, no doubt for removal and destruction. When they were outside once more, they both breathed in the fresh clean air.

"I…feel very worried." Vivian said quietly. It was an enormous admission for her. "How about you?"

"Oddly…I feel free."

They took hands and slowly made their way back to the car. Despite the chaotic life the two of them led, they were just as surely true mates as any of the wolves in Hale's Pack. They understood each other perfectly, and often anticipated each other's needs as if they shared a single mind. Those minds worked now in overdrive, plans within plans within plans blooming and dying within seconds. The Argents were a Council family, and always had been, but the first years of having to divide their loyalty between their daughter and her family and the ruling body of Hunters had taken a toll on them. The couple came to a decision together, around the time their granddaughter had been born. Should the Council ever threaten their family…they would be fully committed to bringing the organization down. This day had not been unexpected, and the two had begun taking precautions. Argent Armaments had come up with quite a few interesting toys in recent years. Gallows said war was coming…but it had already arrived.

They reached the car, and Chris snapped open a secret compartment inside the glove box, and pulled out a small device with an antenna and a single red button. Chris caressed the button, a look of sadness briefly crossing his face.

"Oh, darling…let me." Vivian said, her voice full of understanding and compassion.

She took the unit and pressed the button, hard. As she looked at the mountain…her blue eyes turned ice cold.

A massive explosion sounded from within the mountain. Seconds later, another followed. Then another. The ground began to shake slightly. By the time their car had left the area, Mount Storm King (no longer hollow) had lost some of its elevation. Neither noticed (or would have been surprised at) the helicopter with its single occupant that managed to escape the devastation.


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N – Again for those who were following this story (if there are any still around…hello?...Bueller?...hello?) I've been through a few months of personal/family problems and I was in no way able to write anything. I missed it more than anything though, and those of you that sent emails to check up on me…well, you're the best. I promise not to disappear without warning from now on. I want to reconnect with everyone soon. In the meantime, here's the next chapter… and some pretty big changes are happening. Try to hold on to your hats as the entire Teen Wolf world is turned upside down.**_

Erik filled in the circle for the last answer on the physics exam. Some of the others were still frantically searching for their pencils. These tests bored him, asking him to prove he knew things that were old hat before he reached puberty. He turned the test in to Mr. Brighton who was long used to this phenomenon. He asked, and was given permission to wait out the rest of the period in the library. This was the last period, and he would be free to go as soon as the bell rang.

A low voice broke the forbidding silence of test time.

"Geek." A few of the students chuckled.

Erik froze. He turned and gave the offending boy a Glare worthy of his father. In the last few weeks, many at Beacon Hills High had learned to back down from that forbidding gaze. This boy was, however, braver than most…perhaps because he knew Erik was madly in love with him.

"Three o'clock, by the bike stand!" Erik growled the classic bully threat softly at Robin before stalking towards the door. Robin smirked and drew a heart in the air before pointing at himself and then Erik. Erik rolled his eyes and walked down the hall to the library, a huge grin on his face.

Robin sighed softly and stared at the closed door for a full minute before focusing on his test once more. Three seats over, Laurie rolled her own eyes. Crumpling a paper full of impossible physics formulae into a ball, she chucked it smartly at the head of a rather tall boy who, as it happened, was madly in love with _her._ The class chuckled more loudly this time.

Moose Bradley did not respond with words, but made a Ralph Kramden-esque 'Bang, Zoom!' gesture that Mr. Brighton failed to spot. Laurie chuckled softly. He was way too easy to tease. His ears were red, a sure sign he was embarrassed. Laurie felt that all was right with the world only when those ears were flaming. Humming contentedly, she devoted all of her concentration once more on failing her physics test.

She was almost done when a flash of something even redder than Moose's ears caught her eye. Looking out the window, she spotted Vivian Argent walking regally towards the main entrance of the school. A sense of panic rose in Laurie's stomach then, and she quickly filled in the last few answers without even looking at the questions (thereby increasing her chances of getting them right) and turned it in before fleeing the class room.

Vivian met her at the security desk. Laurie confirmed that this was a friend of her family and that this was a family emergency. The bored guard waved Vivian through after she signed the visitor log.

"Where's your brother?" she asked softly.

"Um, er, he's in the library. Should I get Robin and Moose, I mean Aaron?" she blurted out.

"That depends. Have either of them been…initiated into your family?" Vivian's ice cold blue eyes seemed to be trying to pull the answer from her by osmosis.

"Robin…yes. Aaron knows all about it, but is still…normal." Laurie was getting more flustered every second those eyes bored into her.

"Bring them both then. Lead the way." Vivian gestured grandly, as if expecting to be taken on a tour of her own private kingdom.

Laurie was about to text the boys, when she saw them emerging from the class room, probably having panicked when they saw her hasty exit.

"Everything okay Laurie?" Moose asked her. He gave Vivian a wary look. Vivian was almost a foot shorter than him, and he still felt like a bug under a microscope from the way she took him apart with her eyes.

"I don't know. Robin, Moose, this is my Aunt Allison's mother. She's a good friend of the family."

Vivian looked at her, and that harsh gaze softened in surprise. "Your fathers are very generous if they gave you that impression of me. It's more than I deserve, frankly. I've… recently realized that everything I've believed in for years…things that have led my own family to hurt yours…were all a lie." The blue of her eyes got even sharper as tears seemed to threaten for a moment. Then they cleared. The loss of control had been for less than a moment.

Laurie became even more worried. This woman _never_ cracked…there weren't even rumors.

"C'mon…let's go find Erik." Laurie led them through the maze of hallways until they finally reached Erik's home away from home.

Of course Erik, Alpha that he was, had smelled them all coming. He ushered them in and led them to the back where they might have some privacy. He needn't have bothered; Ms. Pince the librarian had ruled her domain for nearly fifty years and was quite deaf. The place was otherwise deserted at this hour.

The five of them took seats around a large table. Vivian gave each of them a passing glance as if assessing whether they were ready to hear what she had to say.

"You are all aware of the fact that the Argent family were hunters? That for years we have tracked down and slaughtered those werewolves who we felt were to rabid too be allowed to live? And you are also aware that…some…had decided that _all_ of the wolves should be…exterminated?"

Laurie and Erik both swallowed noisily. Robin's eyes were wide, and Moose clenched his hands into fists. A flush rose up his neck…a sure sign he was furious. Laurie had known for a while that his skin was like an incredibly accurate mood ring.

"We heard the story about…your sister-in-law. None of us hold that against you or…_Uncle_ Chris." Erik said in a steady voice.

Vivian gazed at him, and the loss of control was more evident now. "But you should. My husband was always a staunch follower of the code…but neither of us shed a tear after the fire that destroyed your father's family. We didn't suspect Kate…we really didn't! But then again we never tried very hard to find out the truth. We had files on everyone in that house. I…I made myself look at the pictures for the first time, this morning. The children…the expectant mother…the whole family, some of whom were completely human, not that it makes a difference. And it hit me. It hit me for the first time in my life what we…what I was responsible for. I should have seen it coming. The attitude had always been there and no one ever tried to change it. It started out as a noble cause…there _have_ been wolves who were rabid, who killed innocents. They were too powerful back in the old days for most people. A family known for a pivotal role in the Crusades was selected, given the blessings of Crown and Church to hunt them down. The…training process…was severe. In a way, we lost our own humanity. We destroyed the Beast of Gevaudan, one of the worst monsters in history…and it made us proud. We wanted that feeling again…and again. We slaughtered the Garniers and the Greniers, the Stumps and the Talbots. Then an ancestor of ours met a werewolf who was not only good, but heroic. A werewolf named Theiss, of Livonia. He helped the Argent clan leader at the time save the world, sacrificing his own life in the process. No one knows the details, but Tristan Argent created the Code at that moment, a treaty made with Theiss' family on behalf of all werewolves. 'Children…and those who had never spilled human blood were to be spared.' The Hunter family had grown large by this time, and not everyone was happy about this new creed. But Tristan held absolute authority, and every Argent had to swear to this Code or else be banished from the family. Those who had fought with Argent and Theiss swore readily, but they were a small number. Over the centuries, fewer and fewer of us have followed the Code…as it was meant to be followed."

Vivian took a deep breath.

"There was a Council…one made up of the Argents and other families who married into our line. It's influence…it's wealth and power made it a governing body unto itself. Leadership of the Council passed from our family to the Gallows clan, the most rabid of those who felt extermination was the right idea. This past weekend, they declared open war. The wolves were to be finally hunted down to the last…even the Hales."

Save for Erik, they all gasped. Erik merely narrowed his eyes at her. "You said there _was_ a Council? What happened?"

"Erik…I have a daughter, and a granddaughter…who are…"

"Werewolves." Erik said shortly.

Vivian glared at him. "I was _going_ to say 'who are more precious to me than my own life'. The Council threatened them." She stood up in her chair, slamming her hands down on the table, and the full force of who she was made them all shift their chairs back as her eyes blazed at them. "_And now there IS no more Council! Did they dare to forget our creed along with the Code? Argents hunt that which hunts us!"_

They all gaped at her. Vivian blinked and held a trembling hand to her forehead as she sat back down.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive my outburst. Recent events have been trying." She sounded as she were apologizing for not having enough biscuits at tea time.

"Uh, no problem lady." Moose muttered.

"So what do we do now?" Laurie asked her.

"Now? Now there is a war on our hands. No doubt the entire Hunter nation is being gathered. Beacon Hills will be Ground Zero for the last stand of werewolves versus hunters." Vivian said as if it should have been obvious.

"Last stand?" Robin squeaked. "There aren't any more anywhere else?"

Vivian shook her head. "The Council has been busy with this extermination project for years now. Chris and I were not informed of it because the Council felt we were compromised in our beliefs. They were right, of course. Your new father recently showed us the details after he hacked into the Council's databases, Robin. All over the world, every recorded Pack has been destroyed. Many of them were innocent. Many of them were children. You and your families are all that is left."

The group was speechless.

"Now," she continued. "Chris and I have a choice before us. An army of trained Hunters is closing in on us. The Hale Pack is powerful, but has no training or defense against the weaponry the Hunters can bring to bear…much of which was designed by my husband. Chris and I could hold our own in an evenly matched fight, but we would be hopelessly outnumbered. We are also…" Vivian gave a rueful smile. "…not as young as we once were. My husband is even now meeting with the entire Pack, save for Dylan and Christine. It appears that some efforts at…recruitment will have to be made if we all want to survive. Starting…with us."

"No way!" Laurie and Erik gasped at the same time.

Vivian gave a slow nod.

"I believe the term is 'yes, way'. As the Alpha of his Pack, Derek will have to make an oath that he and all Betas under his command will police themselves and hunt down rabid members from _within_ now that…the Hunters will be no more."

"You're sounding like you're sure we'll win." Moose whispered. Ms. Pince was looking over at them.

"I'm not in the habit of losing, young man. But there will likely be…casualties."

Even as she said this, the Hale siblings grabbed the hands of their mates, and squeezed them tight.

The strident claxon of the school bell made all of them jump, even Vivian. She held one hand over her heart.

"Now there is no time to waste. Everyone is meeting at Derek's house. They have all been filled in by my husband by now. When we're all together, we can devise a plan of attack."

They filed out one by one.

"Does anyone need a book?" Ms. Pince called after them.

{}{}{}{}

Erik and Robin turned off onto a small side street. Pulling up next to the curb, Erik shut the engine off and looked out of the windshield at the bright sunshine bathing the neighborhood in a glorious pre-summer gold.

Robin waited, taking Erik's hand while his mate lost himself in thought.

"I'm sorry. I had no right to bring you into this…" Erik began haltingly.

"Erik, I love you, but shut up. You know what I came from. You're not telling me you wished you'd left me in Red Falls with Stucky, are you?"

Erik looked horrified. "Of course not! But I had no right to…"

"If I died tomorrow, I'd be a lot happier than if I never met you. This Hunter thing has been going on forever; it started before we were born, though it looks like we may have to finish it. I know if one of us dies, the other does too…so we'll be together no matter what. As long as I know that…I'm okay. But I _really_ want both of us to stay alive, and our families too. Once this is over, we can get on with our lives in peace. So if you love me, then you'll help me kick their asses and live to take me to the movies afterward. Now let's get to this meeting before that lady finds us and scares the crap out of me again."

Erik gunned the engine and drove on in silence. Deep inside him, something braced itself for the inevitable.

{}{}{}{}

"Laurie, I think…" Moose began. His hands gripped the steering wheel, hard.

"No." she said, hoping it would end the discussion before it began.

"But Laurie," he tried again.

"NO!" she practically screamed. Normally, when she reached that level of volume, Moose would back off and let her have her way. Not this time however.

"It's not your decision. So we can talk about it or not, but the choice is up to me!" The neck flush was back, and higher this time.

Laurie began to cry, hating herself for being too weak to stop it.

"No, please don't do it Aaron! I've given enough to the damn wolf as it is! _It can't have you too!_ I swore I wouldn't change when I found out, and lately I've been doing it all the time! I swore I wouldn't let myself fall in love because the wolf chose someone for me, and now I can't imagine being without you!"

Moose gave her a look, his mouth open in surprise. "Really? You really mean…"

The scream of a car horn yanked his attention back to the road.

"Of course I mean it, you great big jerk. And not _just_ because of the wolf, either."

"Then why are you so against it? Laurie…why do you hate it so much? Really?"

Laurie hoped he wouldn't ask that question. It took a great deal of self-exploration before she finally came up with an answer that seemed to fit. Frankly, the answer was not a flattering one to her. She wondered what he would think about it.

"It was the first…and only thing in my life that I couldn't control." She turned away from him.

"Except for me, right?" he grinned. She remained facing away.

"Except for you. Just now."

She thought he would be disgusted with her. Their relationship had been a case study in domination, one that would have made her Aunt Lydia proud in the good old days. She justified it to her conscience by telling herself over and over again that she was never _cruel_ as well as controlling. Not that it mattered in the end.

"You don't honestly believe that I always go along with you because I think you're the boss, do you?" he asked quietly. She risked a glance at him. No redness anywhere.

"Why else would you?"

"I don't know, you dope. Maybe because I love you and want to make you happy? But this…this goes beyond just us. I need to do this, Laurie, even if it makes you angry and even if it makes you…love me less. I wouldn't be worthy of you unless I were willing to sacrifice for you…whether you liked it or not."

"Aaron, can you please promise me one thing if I let you…damn it…if you _decide_ to go through with it?"

Moose chuckled at her discomfiture. "Anything."

"Don't be a different person. Don't let it change you…the way it changed me."

Moose sighed. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But if it makes you feel better, I promise."

Laurie tried not to smile in smug satisfaction as that hidden part of her exulted that it had gotten its way once again. Sighing, she leaned her head against his arm while he drove.

{}{}{}{}

Erik was shocked to see blood dripping from his father's mouth when he opened the door. Robin blinked and stepped back from the door, reminded forcibly of Carl for a reason he couldn't name.

"Dad, what the hell…" Erik began.

Derek wiped his mouth with his hand and looked at the blood on it. He wondered when he'd stop seeing it on himself, and on people he cared about.

"Just come in. The others are here." Derek turned and walked away.

Aunt Vivian's car was already there. Laurie and Moose pulled up behind them, arriving last. Ever since the night of Stiles' wild hell-ride to rescue Robin, Moose seemed reluctant to come close to breaking any speed limits. Erik wondered how Laurie's inner speed demon put up with it. He waited with Robin for them so they could go in together. Laurie looked upset, and Moose looked grim. They made for the living room, the multitude of scents bombarding the senses of the three werewolves. There was quite a gathering assembled.

Danny and Ted stood almost protectively behind Danny's mother, Maria Kean, who was seated in a wing-back chair. Thomas and Catherine Martin were conversing rapidly with Roger and Martha Whittemore on a large sofa. Lydia and Jackson were sitting across from them on a loveseat listening intently to their conversation.

Grandpa Stilinsky slouched against the nearby wall, while Melissa McCall brought him a bottled water. He cradled his arm which was newly bandaged. Stiles was nearby fussing with a first aid kit, looking pale and scared. Chris and Vivian Argent were looking at the Sheriff with wide eyes.

"Damnit Der, did you have to bite him so deep?" Stiles finally pulled out the bottle of antiseptic he was looking for. Derek grabbed his arm. "Stiles, are you trying to kill the infection I deliberately gave him? Put that away, it's useless now anyway. If it takes, he won't need it. If it doesn't take…he _still_ won't need it."

"It was my fault, Stiles. He told me not to flinch, and I did. Shoulda warned me your teeth would be so big, grandma." Steven gave Derek a half-hearted chuckle.

Stiles snapped the kit shut and stormed out of the room.

"Give him time, Derek. He didn't want me to do this. But if an army is going to invade this town, as a police officer I need to be ready for it."

"The bite's never been given to someone…your age, Steven. Stiles didn't want you to be the guinea pig." Derek began to adjust the bandages, Stiles' worry for his father seeping into his own thoughts.

"What Stiles wants and what's best are rarely the same thing, and definitely not in this case. I'm the oldest one here, so if it works on me it should be safe for the rest of you. Ow! Damn, that smarts."

"Dad? You're trying to turn Grandpa? What's going on here?" Erik looked around at all of the middle aged grandparents in the room.

Derek turned back to his son.

"Your Aunt Vivian filled you in on the problem. We need a Pack, a large one for what's coming."

Laurie was pale. "Dad…you're going to turn _all_ of them?"

Derek nodded. "If Steven…well, if he makes it, then yes. If not…we're getting them out of town along with Christine and Dylan."

Moose approached Derek. "Um, Mr. Hale…Sir…I want to fight with you. I mean, against the Hunters."

Derek looked up at him warily. "Aaron…if I had ten more like you, I'd be a lot less worried. Do you know what you're asking? Have you discussed this with my daughter?"

Laurie was facing the wall. "It's his decision, Dad." She couldn't look at any of them.

Derek looked at her with troubled eyes. He knew very well that if anything happened to Aaron, he could lose her too. Even if they all survived, his daughter could resent him forever. He closed his eyes.

"All right. Aaron, come with me. I don't think anyone in here needs a repeat performance until it's their own."

Aaron followed Derek nervously out the back door and into the yard.

Laurie got her fingers in her ears just in time.

"_Whoa! Oh my G-" _the oath ended in a loud scream. Derek walked in a minute later carrying his enormous future son-in-law and laying him on the only other empty couch in the room. The grandparents all looked at him with wide staring eyes.

"Laurie, why didn't you tell me he faints at the sight of blood?" Derek grated, gasping for breath.

{}{}{}{}

The gathering enjoyed a three-course meal that Stiles seemingly pulled out of thin air. Nothing more was discussed about future plans until they saw whether Steven survived his Turning Bite, as that would decide their course of action. For the first time ever, every guest bedroom in the home was filled up that night.

{}{}{}{}

To say that Steven woke up the next morning a new man was an understatement. He yawned and hopped out of bed…literally. He waited for the twinge of chest pain that plagued him lately whenever he exerted himself. It didn't happen. He sighed in relief, sure that any day now his ticker would give out. He looked down at his bandaged arm, suddenly recalling getting bit by his son-in-law. He ripped it off in a panic. The skin was unbroken…and strangely smooth. Steven stared at his hand, bringing its mate up beside it. The liver spots, the tracery of blue veins, the thin and near-transparent skin that were the hallmarks of old age were gone.

Steven slowly raised his eyes until he was looking in the small mirror that hung on a wall across from the bed.

"Holy Mary!" he breathed. Then he whooped for joy.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles burst in, nearly taking the door off its hinges. "Dad! You okay? Dad…wow, Dad! You look awesome!"

Nearly everyone was awake and eating breakfast. Stiles left Lydia and Allison in charge of the kitchen to check on his father and they were still bringing out trays of food. Melissa McCall nearly choked on a piece of scrambled egg when Steven emerged from his room with a jubilant Stiles. The rest of the grandparents…especially the women…cheered at the sight of him. Steven once again matched the picture of himself taken when he was a new recruit at the Police Academy. His hair was full and thick, and completely missing the gray that had crept up over the years. His skin was wrinkle free and taut as a bowstring. He had even lost weight during the night, his new metabolism burning up the calories stored in the fat at a rapid rate. After a few changes, he would even start to get muscle tone again.

"Anyone else have any doubts about this?" he asked the assemblage.

"Hell, no!" Melissa was the first to call out.

{}{}{}{}

Moose opened his eyes and looked over at his sleeping mate. Derek was normally against sleepovers these days, but felt Aaron would be too out of commission for them to get up to any mischief. Boy, did he underestimate them.

Moose put his arm around Laurie and pulled her in close, marveling at the nuances of her scent that he'd never noticed before. She smelled simply heavenly. She woke up slowly and giggled at his repeated attempts to smell her neck and in the spot behind her ear.

"Aaron…that tickles…" she poked him in the ribs, almost hurting her finger.

"Then stop me." He said in a low voice.

"All right, but you're going to regret it." Laurie whispered back. She grabbed his wrist and tried to move it so she could escape. Nothing happened. She tried again, grudgingly allowing her wolf to help her more and more until she was sure she was completely shifted. Still nothing.

"What the hell?" she growled. She turned her head and gasped. Aaron's eyes were glowing a bright amber. They met the bright blue of her own wolf.

"Hey, babe." he murmured around new fangs. "I think our relationship is going to explore some uncharted territory in the near future."

"Oooh, I knew this was a bad idea." She tried escape plan B and reached down under the covers.

"_Laurie!"_ he screamed a moment later. 'How cute!' she thought to herself as she hopped out of bed. He even flushed in his Beta form…

{}{}{}{}

"Damnit, Erik! I thought I told you two that you had to sleep in separate rooms!" Derek shouted.

Erik feigned innocence. "We _did_ sleep in separate rooms! You never said we couldn't be in the _shower_ at the same time!"

"Aaaaarrggghhhh!" Derek screamed, storming off. "Stiles! We have to talk, NOW!"

"Robin, I think you know what's coming next!" Ted said with his arms folded, and only the smallest hint of a smirk on his features.

Robin hung his head. "Grounded for a week. Can we put it off until _after_ the war?"

"Put it off? You already owe us about twelve years!" Danny pulled Robin into a hug.

"DANNY! TED!" Derek bellowed from the living room.

"You do realize you boys are going to get us killed by our Alpha, don't you?" Danny said, looking fearfully over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Dad!" Robin said. Danny, Ted and even Robin all looked surprised at his words.

"You called me 'Dad'!" Danny said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I guess I did. It felt…right. You guys _are_ my fathers. I'm lucky to have you." Robin hugged them both.

"C'mon, Ted. Let's go fight the Alpha for our son." Danny walked into the living room to face his leader.

"We want to be buried together!" Ted called back to the boys.


	15. Chapter 15

_Beacon Hills_

_April 19__th__, 186_2

The boy and his father looked at the faces of the Hunters, and knew for certain that they were about to die. Barely sixteen winters old, and the boy, Caleb, had already seen his mother pulled apart by their torture-machines. His father Eowin had begun the Wasting…the slow death he was doomed to as his inner wolf struggled to follow his beloved wife Elana into the other world, where they would attend the Great Alpha for eternity.

"This is against the Treaty. My son is only a boy, and neither of us have killed except in self-defense."

"Treaty? I know of no treaty. I seem to remember Tristan Argent speaking of one, but I don't see him anywhere. Just two rabid wolves, begging to be put down. Looks like my men can track just as well as you dogs!" snarled the leader of the assembled men (all utterly loyal to him), a man with an eye-patch visible just under the brim of his black fedora. "I survived my own death…" he continued, pulling at his shirt collar to expose an old and weathered rope-scar. "…yet I doubt you will survive yours. Are you ready to face Judgment?"

"Judgment? Our god is the Beast, who does not judge… except to decide who is prey and who is not. We are all of us welcomed into his fold…the Great Pack…when we are killed. You know werewolves well, _mighty Hunter_," Eowin spoke this term in a tone of sheerest contempt. "but you know nothing about _true_ wolves. Wolves only kill to survive, and to protect their Packs...it is only Man who kills for sport or pleasure. Or revenge."

The one-eyed Hunter shouldered his rifle and slid off his horse, approaching the pair of werewolves who lay shackled and bloodied on the ground.

"Are you saying that no werewolf ever killed…ever maimed… just for the joy of it?" The good eye blazed in its socket. Unconsciously, the man put his hand up to the eyepatch, stroking it gently.

"Werewolves…are part human. Some let that part pervert the purity of the beast. It is the _man-part_ that pollutes us…that makes us give in to temptation. It is not the wolf that we struggle with…but the _human_ desires that are given teeth and claws." The man's eyes smoldered. With one finger of his chained hand, he scratched a spiral symbol into the dirt. It began to glow a fitful red.

The Hunter laughed. "Then tell me…are you struggling with it now?"

Eowin shook his head. "No. This one time, we are united in purpose."

"Purpose? What purpose could a bound wolf possibly have?" So saying, he brought up his weapon, and aimed it directly at Eowin's heart. This was one of their specially crafted bullets, made with all things toxic to werewolves by a master craftsman by the name of Samuel Colt. Colt had died earlier that year in bitter regret over the weapons he had created.

The expression on the face of the older werewolf went from defeated to bestial in less than a second. "You will learn _that_ to your everlasting sorrow, fool! We can endure a thousand years in the strongest chains! But like the Great Alpha himself, _WE WILL ALWAYS BREAK FREE!_"

And with a strength that should have been impossible for him to possess having suffered the ravages of the Wasting, Eowin burst the shackles binding him to the boy and leapt at the Hunter, his shape twisting into a ravaged looking (but still quite deadly) Alpha.

The Hunter fired his weapon, realizing too late that this had been the older werewolf's plan. As the body fell to the ground, Alpha strength now flooded into the boy. His father had given him both freedom and power in one tremendous act of sacrifice. Caleb was already fleeing, his speed now greater than even the fastest of their horses as he dropped into a four-legged lope.

"And _I _will be here…to hunt every last one of you down!" the Hunter muttered softly to himself as his gaze tracked the young new Alpha. "I'll _always_ be here…"

From the single functioning eye, a tear tracked a slow path down his dusty cheek.

{}{}{}{}

_Whittemore Manor_

_The Present…the Calm before the Storm_

Jackson finished tucking Dylan into bed, and they watched Dylan's favorite Power Rangers DVD before the boy inevitably fell asleep. On the screen, Rita Repulsa (Inter-Galactic Witch) was just tossing her magic staff from the moon all the way down to Earth. As it lodged into the ground it began shooting bolts of mystic force in all directions, causing the earth nearby to collapse into a yawning chasm.

"Magic Staff, make my monster GROW!" she screeched. The monster, some insectoid type of creature, promptly did just that. As it swelled to enormous size, the Power Rangers scrambled around in their ridiculous looking costumes, brandishing fake-looking weaponry and calling their Dino-Zords to kick the bug-thing's ass…if it had an ass. The program bored the hell out of Jackson, especially since every episode plot-line was exactly the same except for the type of monster Rita employed. It was all worth it, however, to see that look of childlike wonder on Dylan's face…Dylan, who'd been given the childhood Jackson always dreamed about. No mystery in his life where he came from, and no mystery about who he would become either. There was no question the boy would ever have that Jackson would fail to answer. So of course, he displayed a perverse _lack_ of curiosity about his family, except of course for the werewolf stuff. As long as Dylan had his Power Rangers, his Thundercats, his He-Man and his (bizarrely) Sponge Bob, all was right in his world. Hell, he would even watch She-Ra in a pinch with Christine when she insisted.

Relaxing in the chair next to his son's bed, Jackson fell quickly asleep. A distorted dream played through his mind, perhaps inspired by the insipid program.

In the dream, a lunar eclipse overhead caused the ground he was standing on to shake. Nearby, Derek, Erik and Robin stood facing each other in a triangular formation. They were all shirtless, and the two boys had tattoos on their backs roughly the size of Derek's triskelion; Erik's represented the full moon with crescents on either side, while Robin bore a stylized image of the sun. They were on a large island of black rock in the center of a misty lake. Jackson had never seen the place in the waking world, but he had the distinct sense that he had dreamed of being here many times.

As the ground continued to shake underfoot, Jackson realized with horror that there was a monster trapped in the earth that was struggling to break free. Flames shot up from the ground at the feet of the three, tracing tight spirals around each of them. As the three miniature spirals widened, the three flames met in the middle and the earth cracked open with a loud explosion. The crack raced outward, tracing an enormous spiral design from which a hellish red light emerged. This new spiral was huge, and Jackson had to leap out of the way as the ground opened under his feet. Gradually, the sound of a triumphant growling howl came from the earth. As the spiral chasm reached the full width of the small island, it became unstable. Sections rose or sank as the pieces fell away from each other. Out of the center of the island, an enormous paw broke through the collapsing crust and slammed it's massive talons into the earth to the sound of a sonic boom. The size of that paw made Jackson's blood turn to ice-water. If that single paw was so huge, the size of its body would have to be…

Jackson turned to run, and as is the way of dreams he tripped and fell as his lupine reflexes seemed to abandon him. It was too late to run, so Jackson could only cover his eyes and hope that he would die before seeing the enormous eyes of the monster, the enormous ears…and the enormous teeth. It was free, he could tell from the way the ground shook. The hot wind of its breath made Jackson scream as he flailed backwards to escape the inevitable…

"Dad!" A small voice screamed at him. Jackson awoke roaring in full Beta phase, hyperventilating and struggling to get his bearings. Dylan was standing by the door to his room, looking ready to bolt. Jackson rarely phased in front of the boy, and Dylan had never seen him in such a state of arousal. For the first time, Dylan felt a small twinge of fear of the wolves that lived within his family…and the one that slept somewhere inside him. The twelve year old shook his head. Christine would clobber him if he told her. He had no reason to be afraid, ever. Bravely, Dylan approached his father and laid his small hand on top of his Dad's (mindful of the sharp claws).

Lydia burst into the room, panicked at the sounds and smells of fear and rage coming from her husband.

"Dylan, step away from Daddy. Come to Mommy right now honey!" she called, trying not to let her panic show in her voice.

"It's just Daddy! He won't hurt me, Mommy!" Dylan insisted. Then he jumped backwards as his father suddenly shot to his feet. Dylan ran and hid behind his mother.

"Jacks, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" she asked.

"The word 'nightmare'…just doesn't do it justice. Dylan, I am never watching another Power Rangers DVD as long as I live." His son chuckled, relieved his father was okay.

Lydia's eyes lost their 'concerned' look, and she rolled them impatiently at her husband as she irritably shooed Dylan back to bed.

"I'd give you some sarcastic comment if I hadn't had a 'Barney' nightmare when Dylan was three. Stick to Sponge Bob from now on."

She wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck and pulled him into a tight embrace, unnerved by the still rapid beating of his heart audible to her sensitive ears.

"Come to bed. We're all wound up, and having to spend the next few days training our parents to be halfway decent Betas will not be easy. I still can't believe _that's_ not a dream." She shook her head ruefully. "Once I didn't believe in werewolves; now…it's just part of the scenery."

Jackson chuckled, and he shifted back as he clung to his goddess of a wife, supremely confident in her ability to make bad things go away. "Beacon Hills, Werewolf Capital of the World!"

"I wouldn't ever want to live anyplace else…which is why we are going to destroy any damned Hunters that try to take this away from us. Come on, come to bed."

Lydia and Jackson kissed Dylan in turn and tucked him in. Jackson put the sleep timer on the television and followed his wife to their room.

{}{}{}{}

_The McCall McMansion_

Vivian Argent craned her swanlike neck, turning her face full into the spray of the shower. The stinging spray took her mind off of what was going on _beneath_ her skin after Derek bit them this morning, a phenomenon she once thought she would die rather than let it happen. The wolf that she had pursued and hunted almost to extinction with her family was now on the inside, racing through her veins. Vivian knew, despite that the ex-Sheriff had survived his turning, there was no guarantee Vivian herself would. It would almost be poetic justice for the wolf to destroy her from within, as it had never been able to do from without. She had already placed her and Chris' affairs in order in case the worst happened. They had even made peace with the idea, as if it would be an atonement accepted by whatever power ruled over these matters. The more worrying concern would be if she _survived_ the re-making, to have that _other_ within her, its needs blending with her own. After all, she already had a killer instinct. She would just have new weapons to express it with. She doubted they would need any of this 'training' that the Martins and the Whittemores would be going through. Vivian and Chris knew tricks the werewolves likely never heard of.

She heard Chris enter the bedroom, and smelled the sharp odor of Scotch…in itself a sign that that Derek's…_bite_…was doing its work. Chris had never had more than two or three drinks in any week; in the past few hours, he had put away nearly three bottles, not to mention whatever he drank at the local tavern.

"Ha…no effect…" she heard him mutter clearly. It was changing him too, rather than killing him then. The thought that only one of them might survive had not crossed her mind until this moment, they were so sure their fates were intertwined…just like the damn wolves.

Wait, scratch that. _She_ was a damned wolf now. 'Scratch that' held an entirely new meaning…

She shut the shower off and wrapped herself in her thick white robe. The mirror was fogged from the steam, and her blurry reflection seemed younger somehow. The face of the young woman she used to be stared back at her, free of the lines the Hunter life etched deeply into it. She smiled then, her vanity was still intact after all. Sighing, she wiped the mirror with her hand and stared again.

The reflection was still the same. Her face _had_ changed.

Vivian opened the door and beheld her husband. He was unshaven, and his hair was unkempt, the only signs of the toll this was surely taking on him. But he too looked younger than ever; like a young college professor or even a high school teacher in the first year of his career.

"You look…" they both said at the same time. Then his gaze sharpened with a look she knew all too well, but hadn't seen in a number of years. Responding to his obvious need, she let the robe fall to the floor. A low growl of pleasure escaped his throat, and his eyes took on a dim and subtle glow. He pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her with savage passion. She leapt for him, and they fell onto the bed, where he mounted her with brutal ferocity.

"You know," he grunted. "I think I can get used to this." Then the power of speech was taken from him.

Upstairs and on the other side of the house, Scott and Allison McCall looked at each other in horror as they heard (in exquisite detail) the rekindling of the elder Argent's sex life. They reached into their respective end tables and brought out heavy duty ear plugs to minimize the number of years they would be spending in therapy. Thank goodness Christine could sleep through an earthquake…since there seemed to be one going on in the guest bedroom. Melissa was out _dancing_ with Steven, of all things. Since both of their spouses had died of illness, it was entirely possible that they would become mates…if they haven't already.

{}{}{}{}

The Kean-Turner Home

Danny bid his mother good night, shutting the door to the guest bedroom and hoping against hope that she would live through her turning bite and not leave him an orphan. From what Derek told him, the chances were very good since members of the same family shared the potential to become a werewolf in their hereditary DNA. If Danny had lived through it, then his mother likely would too. The only real worry was for Jackson's parents, since he was adopted…but they had begun showing positive signs already. Derek's Pack was going to be one huge inter-connected family. The thought made him smile, regardless of the dreadful need that caused it. He walked down the hall and checked on Robin. Ted was with him, engaged in their shared (and incomprehensible, to Danny anyway) passion for chess.

They played on a hand-crafted set made by Ted; the pieces resembled werewolves on one side and Hunters on the other, painted gold and silver respectively. The board that would go with the pieces was still a work in progress, so they were using a cheap store bought one for now.

"Check. And that's a double check, counting the discovered one here. Your only option is to move your king to this square, where you will be checkmated on my next turn. If you like, I can make the move for you so as not to waste time." Robin tried to keep the smugness out of his voice and utterly failed.

"I bet Erik's been coaching you." Ted responded miserably, flicking the King Hunter over with a finger.

"Erik would have flattened you about twenty turns ago, right after that move where you hung your Queen. I spotted it too late." Robin replied absently. He fussily replaced the pieces in their starting positions and returned the board to his desk. "Nothing makes me sleepier than 'Giuoco Piano'. You have to learn to develop your pawns quicker, Dad."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Ted said irritably. He got up and stalked to the door, his annoyance making him forget the customary good night hug he usually gave Robin. The teenager promptly got an alarmed look on his face.

"Wait, Dad! I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!" Robin ran and hugged a startled Ted. The boy's heart was pounding fiercely, almost enough to cause a shift.

"Robin, I'm not mad at you, just a sore loser, that's all!" Ted hugged him back tightly while he exchanged an alarmed and guilty look with Danny. Robin's body was shaking, and tears were flowing down his face. Ted felt panic welling up in him.

"Robin! Hey! Listen to me, there is nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you! C'mon, guy! It was just a game!"

With a few shuddering breaths, Robin got himself under control. His face burned with embarrassment, but he couldn't help himself. Even after all this time, he was waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under him; to suddenly lose this miracle of a family life he now knew he could never live without.

"S-sorry. I uh, still overreact sometimes." He stammered. Ted got teary eyed himself as the guilt settled in deeper. He had a pretty rough upbringing himself, but he had to remember constantly that it had been so much worse for Robin, and that these reactions were natural.

Ted walked Robin over to the bed and tucked him in, and Danny made sure to hug him and tousle his hair. The physical affection that they had to keep themselves from those first few weeks was now necessary to reassure Robin they did and always would love him. Though Robin was sixteen, he seemed to be going through his childhood again to make up for what he missed the first time around. His parents indulged him, and Robin's therapist assured them this was natural and that he would stabilize in time.

The therapist, a fellow by the name of John Sands, had been recommended to them by social services and had so far proved invaluable not only in helping Robin deal with his past but in educating Ted and Danny about what to expect. He had confessed privately to the new parents after the first session that Robin's story had caused him to break down into tears for the first and only time in his career. They never missed their weekly individual and family appointments.

As Danny and Ted retired to their bedroom, Ted sat on the edge of their bed and faced away from his mate, staring at the wall.

"Ted," Danny began.

"I'm an insensitive, uncaring jerk with his head up his ass and no right to be a parent." Ted said lifelessly.

"Ted." Danny's voice was flat. He hated when his mate did this to himself.

"That look on his face, when I walked away from him in a huff over a stupid chess game…"

"TED!" Danny snapped.

Ted jerked around to look at Danny, then sighed.

"I know. I'm projecting my parent issues on him. John's helping me get a handle on that."

"Not as fast as I would like! Ted, if you were insensitive, you wouldn't be in the pain I know you must be feeling right now. But don't you get it? It's_ because_ he loves you so much that he's so terrified of losing you! Don't get me wrong, I know he loves me too…but you two hit it right off. You understand him in ways that I don't, and he knows it. You are NOT going to hurt him the way your family hurt you."

"You can't be sure of that. No one can, least of all me." Ted rubbed his eyes vigorously.

"Yes I can. This whole experience has made me love you more than I thought possible. I've seen sides of you that…oh, nevermind."

"No…go on. I need some ego boosting right now. Tell me what a great guy I am." Ted was grinning now, his handsome face losing that haggard guilt-ridden expression that broke Danny's heart on the occasions he began to doubt his parenting skill.

"I'm not good with words. How about I show you instead?" And he proceeded to do just that.

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_Hale House_

Erik lay in bed and clutched a picture that was one of his most prized possessions. It was taken the day of the pool party at Robin's home; just the two boys standing there with their arms around each other's shoulders and grinning into the camera. That feeling of rightness, of a perfect fit washed over him again, bringing a stinging heat to his eyes. The feeling he got whenever he looked at his own parents, the feeling that there were two people who were meant for each other…he now felt that for Robin.

And there was a war coming. Wars brought separation, tragedy and despair. And death.

It wouldn't happen. It better not happen. Not to Robin, not to his family, not to anyone. He would see to it.

"Mine." He muttered. And he meant it. The Alpha within him growled deeply at the thought, and somewhere (in a forest that was not strictly on Earth), a legion of wolves picked up the growl. He felt them out there, somewhere in the night, echoing his concern and latent rage in a frightening chorus. Erik heard them as if they were somewhere above him, and he trapped underground. As sleep took him, he struggled in his blankets and experienced a curious sense of being constricted…confined. He growled louder, and the wolves with him. He grew angry then, and with an impossible strength tore his thick blanket in two.

"Free…I'm free…" he thought dreamily. Free to deliver something his powerful enemies had richly deserved for millennia.

Vengeance.


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N - Haven't heard from a lot of my old fans, I hope you guys are out there, somewhere...I really need some input as we get down to the wire. I did have a funny private message that read "Ted never acts this way on the show." That's because he's an OC, dude! I'm flattered that he could pass for a real character, though I'm dying to know who the author thought he was. Anywho, please review when you can and any advice, critique or old fashioned 'good job' is greatly appreciated, and thank you to those who have been doing just that.**_

While Derek was putting the 'old folks' through their training, the younger Hales would often find something to do to occupy their time. Laurie was a force of nature on the training field, able to use her gymnastic skills in tandem with her werewolf abilities to wipe the floor with just about everybody save her father and brother. As Alphas, their brute strength alone was too much for her, though tactically she was at least as competent as Stiles. She was a master of 'intermodal' fighting, riding that edge of transformation that left one with the best abilities of both human and wolf. As she learned to trust the instincts of her inner wolf, she became better and better at relinquishing control and taking it back at the right moments. She had progressed to the point where she could summon or banish it at will, though a low level of discomfort with the beast remained. It upset her to think that this would vanish over time as well.

Moose was away with his folks that week, so she spent most the break from school hanging out with Erik and Robin. They often went to the movies or the mall, or ate at some of the more expensive steak houses in the area (Robin felt very uncomfortable in diners). Laurie noted how happy the two were when they were together, and she was inwardly thankful that, for now at least, the drama in their lives had tapered off.

And as if a mischievous god heard these thoughts, she was once again plunged into frantic worry.

They were at an arcade when a fight broke out among some of the local kids. Erik was playing 'Giggling Space Penguins from the Vicinity of Ursa Minor', and his score was up to 999,999,999,999,785. A 250 point penguin waddled onto the screen while laughing hysterically, and Erik was about to blast it into smithereens _and_ cause the score to roll completely over when he heard Robin's voice.

"Hey, I'm not with these guys, you can let me go now!" One of the bouncers had broken up the fight and was herding the group towards the exit. The arcade was very dark, and Robin came out of the rest room at exactly the wrong time and got swept along with the other exiles. The bouncer (at least as tall as Moose…and almost equally _wide_) paid no attention to the boy's protests, and gave him a helpful shove.

The bouncer felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and screamed silently at the pair of demonic red eyes that seemed to hover in the darkness. Then a pair of mutant paws seized him and hurled him through the air like a rag doll. Erik's eyes faded back to normal. He had barely shifted, and was indistinguishable from the other kids when the lights were suddenly flicked on.

"Erik…it was all right, you didn't have to do that." Robin murmured as they made their escape in the confusion.

"He _touched_ you. Nobody does that. _Ever._" Erik never resembled Derek more than in that moment.

A vengeful goddess met them outside, a she-demon masquerading as his sister. She spoke something in a foreign language.

"_Whatthehelliswrongwithyou?"_ They made for the exit while people were helping the astounded bouncer to his feet. He seemed none the worse for wear, though a few more feet would have put him through the tinted window that looked out onto the street. They fled for the Camaro and raced away before someone stopped them. Laurie was fuming. Erik had his arms folded in a defiant gesture that she bleakly realized he copied from her. Robin was torn between gratitude for Erik's concern and guilt that Laurie was so angry with him.

"Erik, you could have killed him!" she shouted as she got the Camaro up to full speed, dodging through the maze of traffic in a way that would have impressed Stiles. And Mario Andretti.

"I was _trying_ to." Erik shot back.

"Erik, its one thing if someone tries to really hurt one of us, like Stucky did…"

Robin flinched.

_"Don't say that name!" _Erik roared, his fangs jutting out while his eyes burned an unholy crimson. Robin shrank down into his seat, getting more and more scared at the battle between the two siblings.

Laurie felt the whip-crack of the Alpha command in her mind, and she flinched herself and almost drove them into a ditch. Even her father had never used that power on her.

Laurie pulled over at the first convenient spot and made a decision. She pulled out her phone and sent off a text. She received a response in less than 5 minutes while Erik sulked and Robin stared out of the window. Then she started the car again and pulled back onto the road, heading for the highway out of town.

By the time they reached White Rapids, Erik's anger had mostly dissipated, and he apologized to Robin for overreacting. He was about to apologize to Laurie as well and explain to her why he was so protective of his mate when he looked out the window.

"Uh, Laurie? Where the hell are we?" he asked.

"White Rapids. There's somebody I want you to meet."

They left the car, and Laurie went up to the house she remembered and rang the bell. Harris answered the door and ushered them inside. He looked physically ill, and Laurie wanted to ask him if anything was wrong, but decided to keep silent. She had the idea he would think it rude. He lowered himself painfully into his wing back chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Laurie, if you wouldn't mind, please fetch me a Vitamin water from the fridge. Help yourselves to one of them, and there's bottled water besides."

Laurie did as requested, getting bottled waters for herself and the boys. Harris drank his Vitamin water slowly. The teenagers, thirsty from their flight from the arcade finished their waters off quickly.

"Erik, this is Mr. Adrian Harris. He…was our mother's mate. I mean, our real mother."

Erik's eyes got wide. Even Robin looked amazed.

She continued. "Erik, since you became an Alpha…you've been a little out of control. He's going to show us how to keep you from hurting anyone the way you almost did today." She turned to Harris. "So, how does this work?"

"It is the very height of simplicity. We must wait a mere thirty more seconds. Perhaps a bit more…" He said with a chilling smile.

Laurie looked confused. "Thirty more seconds?" She looked down at the empty bottle in her hands. "Oh, hell no…" A rushing blackness suddenly claimed all three of them.

"…perhaps a bit less. You see? Total control." Harris whispered as he rose to his feet. He had a great deal of work to do, and little time to do it in.

{}{}{}{}

Adrian Harris was true to his word. He meant no harm to either of the Hale siblings, nor to their mates or families. Thanks to the computer technical skills taught to him by an old friend of his, he even learned that Chris and Vivian Argent had been turned by Derek Hale. He respected what it must have cost them to make that decision, and was awestruck by the demolition of the wretched Council that they orchestrated. As such, he did what he would never thought he would be capable of doing and forgave them their crimes. In fact, he intended to take a leaf out of their book and wipe out the world's population of Hunters for good. No one would ever again have to die because of some stupid pointless vendetta. No one would ever have to be left alone like he was.

But where Chris and Vivian Argent relied on technical genius to accomplish their ends, Harris wanted a more…traditional solution.

He lifted Erik Hale and carried him to a small work room in the back. Placing him face down on a padded table, he pulled the boy's shirt off and studied the clean flesh of his back. Whistling, he opened an old wooden chest and removed two ancient wooden carvings that bore symbols representing the Sun and Moon (full, with a crescent on each side). He held the Sun carving next to Erik's body. Nothing. Frowning, he did the same with the Moon carving and was rewarded with a flash of heat as the symbol began to glow a dull crimson. Success, at long last. The promise of ages past was about to be realized in this boy and his mate. And Harris…the poor human who lost his one true love to the hatred of the Hunter/Werewolf war, he and no other would be the one to bring about Ragnarok…the release of Fenrir. If only Laura could know that her child would avenge her death in such an extraordinary fashion.

Whistling, Harris pulled out an ink gun from a drawer and plugged it in, fitting a fresh cartridge of black ink into the slot. He worried about the trembling his hands had developed of late, but as he began to sketch the design into Erik's skin… his hand seemed to firm up…almost as if some other force or power was guiding him. He knew what force that was.

In half an hour, the design was complete. Erik's unconscious body healed the damage almost as soon as it was completed. The tattoo glowed a fitful crimson, and the carving which bore its likeness crumbled into fine ash. Ironic, since it had come from the World Ash Tree.

With some difficulty, Harris got Erik's t-shirt (Batman's logo adorned the front…did kids even read those comics anymore?) back on and he quickly carried him back into the living room.

Robin was next, and in another half hour the Sun Sigil was emblazoned on his back, the second carving falling to ash a moment later. He remembered that Erick Hale had done this to his own son with the Triskelion Sigil…the triple spiral signifying the promise of vengeance against the Gods, against Mankind…and the World. Shortly after the Hale fire occurred, Harris had received a package in the mail. It contained the recipe for the Aconite tea, the two carvings and a photograph of the third that once existed before Erick Hale tattooed it on Derek's back, shortly after his sixteenth birthday…mere hours before the rest of the family burned to death. Fenrir protected Derek and Laura, and had seen to their survival. Derek was fated to be the Harbinger, and Laura was to be mother to one of the Keepers of the Keys, the other being his eventual mate…the boy Robin. The unlikely union of the trio of Alphas, gathered at the place of imprisonment at the moment of eclipse would unlock it forever, and unleash Fenrir on the world. A letter (long since burned) in Erick's package told him all of this, and that Laura's death was unavoidable. Laura knew this and explained it to him the last time he saw her alive, when Harris begged her to either kill him or turn him. She said Harris _needed_ to stay human so that he could avoid the Wasting and remain alive to put the final steps of the prophecy in motion. She even had some of her eggs harvested in case it happened before the time was right. A human had to be the father to fulfill the prophecy, and Harris had supposed it would be him, but fate had chosen Stiles Stilinsky instead. No matter. The secret had been passed down from Eowin to Caleb and Caleb to Erick…ending a chain of conspiracy that had likely started with the first werewolf to receive the Gift. Harris considered it a great honor. He had played a small part in the grand scheme that was now complete. The Keepers had received their Keys. Harris had used all of his knowledge of chemistry to refine the Aconite sedative into an odorless, colorless and tasteless mixture to accomplish this task. In a perfect world, Erick could have prepared his son for his grand role (and Derek done as much for his own son), but the boy was simply too young and his father taken from him too soon for him to be initiated into the mysteries. No worry; Fenrir would see to the rest…even the Hunters had their own part to play.

That his long years of waiting were finally over made him want to laugh and cry and dance with glee. Yet…there was one more task to perform, wasn't there?

"Laura…I'm coming. I'm coming to see you soon. Very soon now…" he whispered aloud.

He approached Erik on his chair, pried open the boy's mouth and placed his wrist against the teeth.

"If it is the will of the Great Alpha, of Fenrir, that I be granted the boon to join the Great Pack, who are the spirits of every werewolf that has ever died in your service… then let this Keeper be the one to bestow your blessing. Let me suffer the Wasting, and join my mate Laura in your kingdom until the Earth is yours."

Erik remained out cold, but the wolf inside him (perhaps obeying the command of one greater) emerged for a moment and penetrated Harris' skin with his teeth.

Harris looked at the fresh bite and rejoiced. Now, there was nothing but to travel to the Hale forest…to follow the Trifold Path and enter the secret clearing, now that he was finally worthy to do so. The wolf in him would begin to die almost as soon as it was born, and he wanted to find Laura and see her one last time as a living man… to tell her what he had accomplished… before he joined the Pack for eternity.

Maybe then, she would at last forgive him.

{}{}{}{}

They woke up within moments of each other, and found themselves alone in Harris' apartment in the little house. They looked at each other confusedly, and all were able to tell with one sniff that they were alone.

Laurie checked her watch, and had a mini heart attack.

"Twenty minutes to curfew guys, and we already missed dinner." This, more than anything else that had occurred, motivated them to flee the apartment and race to the car. They broke laws of physics as well as laws of speeding, and got Robin home just in time for him to avoid getting in trouble. They called the Hale home from there, and told their parents they were on their way. Derek, distracted and frazzled from a day of training the Martins, Whittemores and Argents just said 'yeah, yeah…grab yourselves some dinner on the way home' and hung up. Erik and Laurie breathed a sigh of relief and drove home at a more leisurely pace after stopping for fast food at the Beacon Hills Burger Barn.

"So, what happened there? Did he drug us?" Erik asked once they had eaten their fill and started the drive home.

"Yeah, same stuff Dad gave you when you were freaking out about Robin that day. I should have known he'd pull a fast one. Once again, I put you in danger…and Robin too. But I had this whole conversation with him about our mother, and he almost never lied! He was telling the truth when he said he would never hurt us, I could tell…so whatever tonight was…it means maybe he changed his mind, or whatever he wanted could be gotten without…"

"Shit." Erik muttered.

"What?" Laurie gave him a quick glance while she drove.

"Laurie, there's blood in my mouth. I can taste it. Harris wanted to be a werewolf. I think you better tell me everything he told you."

Laurie went over as much of her first talk with Harris as she could remember.

Erik considered this. "I know what you were trying to do…and once again, I forced you to do it. I'm sorry about the arcade…but Laurie…you don't know the bond I have with him, how much I care about him and worry about him. He's a werewolf, but in many ways he's still…dealing with what happened to him. He needs to be protected… and I know that's how you feel about me. I really understand you for the first time in my life. But if what Harris said was true, wouldn't the bite just kill him? His mate…our Mom…is dead."

"I don't know. Maybe the rules are different if you get it _after_ your mate dies…he never said and I didn't think to ask."

"I know where I could check. Dad has a book by this Eowin Radcliffe guy, and it's supposed to have all of our…lore in it. It's Pops favorite book and he keeps it hidden." Erik resolved to find it tomorrow. "Let's just forget about Harris for now, we have enough going on lately."

Laurie agreed, though something about the whole situation bothered her. Why drug them so he could get the bite, just to die from it? Should she tell their parents? She could just imagine the look on Derek's face…he hated Harris with a passion. And Stiles had told her not to go off and meet any strange people.

"I'm just glad we're not in trouble." Laurie sighed in relief.

"Then why are our fathers standing in front of the house with glow-in-the dark-Glares?" Erik looked worried.

{}{}{}{}

After Erik and Laurie left, Robin decided to take shower and go for a quick dip in the pool before bed. Danny and Ted often relaxed in the attached hot tub for an hour or two most nights, and had no problem with him swimming any time. He left his room in his bathing suit, and joined them in the backyard.

"Hey Dads."

"Hey Robin," called Danny. "What did you guys do today?"

"Not much, went to the arcade then…took a trip to White Rapids and came home." Robin got on the diving board, the fluorescent lighting around the pool illuminating his back. He jumped up and down on the board, getting ready to make a splash big enough to soak his fathers in cold water.

"ROBIN TAYLOR STARK!" roared Ted. Robin fell off the board in surprise, landing with an awkward splash in the pool. This was the first time either of them had ever yelled at him like that. Terrified, he climbed out and walked over to them.

"Y-y-yeah D-dad?" he was scared out of his wits. What had he done wrong now?

Danny climbed out of the hot tub, and turned Robin around. Robin felt fingers poking into his back.

"Ted…it's real. He's got a real tattoo."

Robin whirled back around. "_What?"_ He turned around a few times trying vainly to see what they were talking about.

Danny and Ted marched him into the bathroom on the first floor of the house leaving a soaking wet trail behind them. They gave him a small hand mirror, and Robin saw the design for himself. Bewilderment now added to his fear.

"I didn't do that!" he protested.

"Of course you didn't! You can't tattoo your own back! Where did you get this done? Who did this? What possessed you to do this without even asking us? Do you have any respect for us at all? You act like we're not even your parents!" Ted fumed.

"Ted…" Danny began. Ted was missing Robin's face crumpling in on itself the more he yelled.

To Robin, having his parents yell at him this way was the most horrifying thing that could happen to him. It confirmed all his worst fears, justified all of his most paranoid delusions. At that last remark, critical mass was reached. The Alpha wolf inside him came roaring to the surface for the first time since his elevation.

"_LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU BOTH!" _the transformation ripped its way through him, and the two Betas were savagely knocked to the side as Robin broke the bathroom door off its hinges and fled. There was a huge crash as the Alpha broke through the glass doors leading to the back yard and fled howling into the night.

Danny and Ted looked at each other, stunned.

"Oh my God…" began Ted.

"I better call Derek." Danny said simply.

{}{}{}{}

Danny was just pulling up as Erik and Laurie got out of the Camaro.

"What's wrong?" Erik asked. No doubt it was either Harris or the arcade, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out how they would know already.

"Did you take Robin to get a tattoo, or get any yourselves?" Danny asked, since Stiles and Derek were still stuck in Glare mode.

Erik laughed. Whatever he had been expecting, this was not it.

"No, are you guys insane? I know I'd be killed if I did that without permission. I don't even really want one anyway. Neither does Robin, for all I know."

The three parents listened carefully, detecting no lie…and now they were more confused then ever. Lydia came out and joined them.

"Would you two mind showing us your backs? Lydia, check Laurie while we check Erik."

Laurie would have laughed if they didn't look so serious. She pulled up her blouse in the back for Lydia's inspection.

"No tattoo here, guys." Lydia called.

"Duh," said Laurie.

Erik pulled his Batman shirt off and turned around.

"See? No tattoo! Now what's this all about?"

"ERIK STEVEN HALE!" Stiles and Derek bellowed. Erik jumped a few feet in the air.

"Guys, at the risk of yet another rampaging Alpha roaming the night, just stop right there." Danny advised them. "They obviously don't know how they got them. Erik, I don't know how to tell you this, but not only do you have a real nifty tattoo of the moon on your back, Robin has one of the _sun_ on his. Well, we freaked out on him, and now he's gone and Ted is at home having a nervous breakdown. Also, Robin is an Alpha."

Erik stared at them, his astonishment so authentic that they believed he had no clue.

"Laurie! Tell them everything that happened today. I'm going to find Robin."

Laurie gulped, knowing they would murder her when she confessed.

"See you in werewolf heaven!" she called after her brother as he transformed and took off. She turned back to her soon-to-be executioners. "See, it all started when I was trying to find out more about Laura Hale…"

Derek's eyes flashed crimson.

Laurie gulped once again. They weren't off to a good start.

_**A/N - Good? Bad? Is Ted a jerk, or can he be forgiven? Let me know! All the best, hbrackett.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N – Thank you guys again for the reviews, I really appreciate hearing from you. It put me in such a good mood that I threw a bit of slash in here, which I've never been good at writing. So great hearing from you, especially Omega696 and DJDP, you're the greatest! Thanks also to Nifters, witch20, Dreamer2322 and Kataragurl27.**_

Erik quickly picked up Robin's scent and tracked it through the forest to Razor Gorge, the huge divide that cleaved the central forest of the crescent-shaped coastal town of Beacon Hills. The highway system wrapped around the gorge, but the Lycan residents found it quicker to just leap the gap when they needed to travel swiftly.

Erik howled, and Robin gave an answering call a few moments later. A helicopter flew overhead bathing him briefly in its lights as he tore through the thick woods. Robin sat with his back against a large boulder, knees to his chest while his body shook with the force of his despair. His bathing suit was long gone, as were Erik's own clothes, but there was no one around here to see them. Erik sat next to him and took his hand.

"I heard what happened. Guess what, we _both_ have tattoos!"

Robin was so distracted by this statement he almost forgot how upset he was.

"Are you serious? Who did this to us? Erik…my Dads…they hate me, they think I did this-"

"Whoa! They don't hate you, Robin. Look, you didn't have a normal childhood, so you're not used to this. My Dads yelled at us…well, mostly Laurie…but they yelled at us whenever we screwed up, and then they would get over it. We were never beaten or…anything. They still loved us, and would no matter what. Getting a tattoo is a big deal that every parent would flip out over. They were just upset…but you can't tell me they hate you. I just ran into Uncle Danny and he told me that Uncle Ted is having a _major_ freak out over you. He's crying and beating himself up over being a bad parent. He…had a family life that was…not as bad as yours, but pretty bad. He's afraid he'll hurt you more than anything."

Robin stopped shuddering, and Erik was quiet while he got himself under control.

"B-but…I b-broke the doors…a-and I t-told them…I told them…"

"Let me guess. You told them you hated them? Kids say that all the time, Rob. They know you were just upset and that you didn't mean it, just like Uncle Ted didn't mean to yell at you."

They smelled the scent at the same time. Ted ran up to them with a bulging knapsack, still wearing his damp bathing suit. Robin couldn't look at him, and hid his face behind Erik's shoulder.

"Robin…Erik's right. I heard you guys talking while I was hauling ass over here. I'm…well, I'm deeply ashamed at how I acted. I should have given you a chance to explain and not freaked out at you. You don't need my family history haunting you along with yours." Ted got on his knee and gently turned Robin's face so that they were looking each other in the eyes. Robin saw at once how flushed and miserable he looked. "I would understand if you couldn't forgive me, but please…_please_ give me another chance. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to Danny and me."

Robin sniffled a few more times.

"On three conditions."

Ted looked surprised. "Let's hear them."

"First, the broken doors are _not_ coming out of my allowance."

Ted laughed. "Done. What else?"

"Second, I'm keeping the tattoo. I…kind of like it."

Ted growled low in his throat. "Urgh….okay, but you are to tell everyone at school you were grounded for ten years for getting it. And no more until you're 25. Make that 30. What's the third?"

"Um…could you pretend you didn't find Erik and me for…say about another hour?"

Ted gave a shocked laugh. "Your tattoos are so appropriate, cause now you're _asking_ for the moon and the sun." He tossed them the knapsack. "I really am the worst parent that ever lived. Here's some clothes for you both, and you've got _half_ an hour. Then…then I want you to come home."

Robin took a deep breath and felt a sense of relief and come over him. He still had a home.

"I will, Dad. I love you." The helicopter that had been buzzing through the sky like an annoying insect was returning.

"I love you too, son. Now what the hell is _that_ thing on your chest? Holy crap!"

Ted lunged at Robin just as (with no noise at all) a fist sized hole opened in his side. The warm wetness of his father's blood splashed Robin's face and chest. Ted fell to the ground while Robin and Erik looked up at the hovering helicopter. Their excellent vision showed them a sniper dressed in black who was even now reloading his weapon.

To call the feeling that instantly flooded their minds and bodies _fury_ would be to vastly underscore its depth and power. Time seemed to slow down for them until they could almost see the individual blades of the helicopter's rotor. Somewhere in a forest not quite in this world, a legion of wolves gave a piercing howl to the night sky with eyes that glowed like flame. Then, as one, they began to race through the woods.

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Stetson cursed under his breath when he realized he got the adult Beta instead of one of the two kids. Gallows informed him that the kids were the primary target; once they were dead, picking off the rest would be a breeze…but the kids had to go first. The tip off that the Stark kid was in the woods (gleaned from the tapped phone in the Kean/Turner home) was too good an opportunity to pass up. He got the new round socked into place and took aim, the laser sight (that had alerted Ted to the danger) once more probed the darkness. He cursed again; he'd lost sight of them. But there seemed to be something moving down there amongst the trees, something _huge._

Make that _two_ huge somethings.

Stetson tried to find the boulder again where they had been sitting and caught sight of it…it seemed to be bigger; in fact, it _was_ getting bigger as he watched, almost like the moon itself was coming at him.

"Holy crap!" he dropped the gun just as the boulder crashed into the helicopter with wrecking ball force. All the men on board were killed as the copter exploded.

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Two Avatars of Fenrir, one brown furred and one black towered over the small and broken form of Ted Turner. His body struggled to repair itself, but the bullet contained a lethal toxin that interfered with the process even while poisoning the surrounding tissues. He was lost in a haze of pain, and did not see the lupine demigods that regarded him with enormous crimson eyes. The great beasts lay themselves down beside him as if in meditation. Joining them were hundreds of wolves that crowded as close as they could; a _sea_ of lambent eyes glowed in the darkness as if every star in the sky had spawned a twin on the earth.

And the Great Pack worked its will.

The gaping wound flamed, the powdered aconite was catching fire and burning out the single element within that was lethal to all werewolves…the rest acting as a balm and sedative. Even now Ted's life force might have slipped away before the damage could be reversed, but it was anchored firmly in place by the will of the towering demigods until the damaged internal organs rapidly regenerated themselves and the wound finally sealed itself shut. Ted slept deeply under the influence of the purified aconite (the same used in the old family tea recipe) while the Great Pack returned to their otherworldly home.

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Erik and Robin came awake to find themselves tangled together on the forest floor. Erik laughed and wrestled with Robin until he was lying on top of his mate.

"It happened again…I have this feeling that we had really great-"

"We did," put in Robin.

"But for the life of me I can't remember it. We were changed while we did it, weren't we?"

"Yeah, maybe that has something to do with it…oh, crap, Erik! My Dad is still over there!"

The boys scrambled for the knapsack and hurriedly dressed before approaching the sleeping Ted. They were surprised to find that despite their best efforts, they couldn't wake him though he seemed otherwise fine. Shrugging, Robin picked up his adoptive father easily and slung him over his shoulder. The boys trekked back through the forest until they arrived at the back yard of the Hale home. Danny, Stiles and Derek jumped up from the deck chairs where they'd been sitting.

"What happened to Ted, is he all right?" Danny asked, hurriedly taking his mate and laying him on one of the tanning lounges.

"He came and found us, then fell asleep." Robin explained.

"_Whaat?"_

Erik sighed. "I know how it sounds. I found Robin and talked him down, then Uncle Ted showed up and they talked about what happened…and then..." he shrugged.

Stiles was peering closely at Ted. "Did he drink any of that tea?"

The boys looked at him blankly. "Tea?"

"Nevermind. He won't be up for another hour or two and we can ask him what happened then. Did you boys see or hear a helicopter in the woods tonight? We just heard from one of our contacts that a Council team was dispatched in the area. We were going to all come after you when you showed up."

"I…think I saw one when I was trying to find Robin…" Erik struggled to remember. The image of a fly being swatted kept crossing his mind.

"Well, nevermind. Danny, why don't you guys stay over tonight. You can take the usual room, and Robin…I think you may be getting the couch since we have so many guests…"

Erik interrupted Stiles. "Pop, I want him to stay with me."

Derek shook his head. "No way, I'm not having minors engaging in…"

"Dad! We promise we'll behave. You can ask me in the morning and you'll know if I'm telling the truth. Robin had a rough night, and I _want_ him with me!"

Derek looked on the point of refusing, but something in his son's gaze made him change his mind.

"All right. If it's all right with Ted – well, nevermind that, he's out. Danny?"

"Derek, to tell you the truth I never had a problem with it."

Danny shrugged at the look Derek and Stiles were giving him.

"Look, they're mates, they're not going to get anyone pregnant, and you just know they're doing it anyway no matter what we say."

"Yeah, but…" began Stiles.

"AND people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!" Danny gave Derek and Stiles a stern look.

Erik and Robin had a sudden flash of a boulder flying through the air, but before they could examine the memories more closely, Derek said words they never thought they would hear.

"I guess…I guess you're right." Even Stiles was open-mouthed.

"Just…try not to make it obvious." Derek finished, turning and walking into the house.

"Thank goodness the rooms are sound-proofed…" muttered Stiles as he followed his mate inside.

"Merry Christmas, boys." said Danny, picking Ted up and carrying him into the house.

Though they were nearly exhausted, Erik had to check on Laurie before he went to bed.

"How bad was it?" he asked when she let him into her room.

"Bad. They didn't yell at me or anything, Pop looked really disappointed and Dad…I can't even describe his look." She was red-eyed and sniffling. "I screwed up, big time, and all because I'm such a busybodying, micro-managing, can't-mind-her-own-business control-freak."

Erik gave her a huge hug. "And that's why I love you."

She laughed then, and he was glad to see her smile. It broke his heart to see her upset.

"Well, Pop thinks Harris was into some kind of weird voodoo werewolf magic. Dad's father, Erick Hale gave Dad his tattoo, but never explained why. He's going to dig out that book you were talking about by Eowin Radcliffe and see if these designs mean anything. Dad says he's going to track Harris down and eat him, after chewing him into very tiny pieces." She held her thumb and index finger a quarter inch apart to give him a visual.

"I wish him luck." Erik grabbed a small compact and pulled up the back of his shirt so he could check out the tattoo in her full length mirror.

"It _does_ look kind of Badass…" he murmured.

Laurie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, get _out_ of my room, you were-dork. Go give Robin a hickey or something."

"Great idea. See you in the morning!" He was gone in a flash, his door slamming a second later.

{}{}{}{}

The next day, Stiles and Derek took the Argents with them to explore the woods and figure out what happened with Ted. Ted and Danny left that morning after breakfast to get the house repaired, saying they would pick Robin up later. Before they left, Ted gave Derek a general idea of where he found the boys.

It turned out to be an easy location to find.

"Wolf prints…LOTS of wolf prints…I think Erik's Pack has been here. _These_ are Alpha prints, obviously Erik and Robin coming from two different directions." Derek muttered aloud.

"What's that huge hole over there?" Stiles asked. "No snide answers please."

The four werewolves looked at the depression, all wet earth and crawling insects.

"Looks like there was a rock or boulder here." said Chris.

"Call me the Queen of Understatement, but it seems to have vanished." advised Vivian.

"And what the hell are _those?_" Derek pointed out.

They hadn't noticed the giant prints at first since they were so huge. Their minds dismissed the possibility that anything could make one that size…but once Derek saw it, the hair on his head stood straight up.

"You guys smell anything?" Stiles asked.

Derek inhaled. "I smell Robin and Erik…Ted…the damp earth over there…about a thousand wolves…and something….burning? And…" his eyes widened.

"Wolfsbane." Stiles finished for him.

"Lookee here," said Chris. He pulled a bloodstained giant magnum rifle round out of the earth. It had two tiny letters on one side: AA. Argent Armaments.

Derek sniffed the bullet. "Wolfsbane…and definitely Ted's blood. Something happened here, and we need to understand it. The boys were attacked last night, and Ted took the bullet. He was fine this morning, and had no memory of anything like this happening."

"These giant prints…there are _two_ sets." Vivian observed.

"I…really don't like the picture I'm getting." said Stiles.

Derek agreed completely.

Chris had wandered off, catching a scent and following it until he came to the edge of Razor Gorge.

"Guys, I think I found the boulder…and a few other things too."

Minutes later, all four were looking down at the crashing surf and the wreckage of the demolished helicopter. Four bodies lay broken and twisted on the rocks below. Two halves of an enormous boulder lay on either side of the wreckage.

Derek leapt into space, landing at the bottom of the gorge. The other three followed behind a moment later, only Stiles grimacing a bit; this was a tad higher than the top of the Hale family's staircase.

The broken bodies reeked, and were already being pickled by the saltwater surf.

"Council sniper team. I know these guys." Chris told them. "Stetson here is a long distance crack shot. Walker is an Ace pilot. Gallows wasn't playing around."

"They had to be after Robin, and whoever was with him. I've been hearing clicking sounds on the phone lately, which means our houses are probably bugged; Danny called to tell us about Robin and poof! A helicopter gets dispatched. I'll have Danny go over everyone's place with a fine tooth comb. You'll have to give Danny another strip tease, Derek. Derek! I was just kidding!" Stiles watched his mate strip his clothes off and toss them to the side. Chris wasn't impressed, but Vivian muttered to herself "_Now_ I see what Kate saw in him…" Stiles glowered at her, waving his hand up and down in front of her eyes in an attempt to block her vision.

Derek phased into his Alpha form, and stalked over to the nearest boulder half, growling menacingly at it. The boulder wasn't impressed. Alpha Derek grabbed the edge and shoved with all his might, every muscle straining until he was able to topple it over. The boulder was impressed…slightly.

When he phased back and pulled his clothes on, Stiles asked him: "What the hell was all of that for?"

Chris whistled. "I have an idea. Derek thinks that _something_ picked up that boulder and tossed it like a volley ball at this helicopter, destroying it. With all of his Alpha strength, he could barely move _half_ of it. Those prints up there…"

Stiles was white with shock. "And something threw the WHOLE boulder…at a HELICOPTER?"

"That incident at the mall…Anson Cooper's car being thrown across the parking lot…like a Matchbox in the hands of small child…" Derek shook his head. It was too unbelievable.

"The Council knows about that incident, but Gallows never let on he knew how it happened. Erik was implicated…because his mate was in danger. Robin was human at the time, so it _had_ to have been Erik…but this," she pointed at the boulder. "…could have been either one of them, or both. I _hope_ it took both of them to do this." Vivian saw she was not alone in that hope.

"Robin would have been provoked at seeing Ted get shot. _Erik_ would have been provoked by seeing Robin upset. Hell, he gets provoked if anybody looks _cross-eyed_ at Robin, if Laurie's story about the arcade is any indication." Stiles looked out at the water. "Company's coming. Let's make ourselves scarce." The Coast Guard had discovered the wreckage and a boat was maneuvering towards the narrow rocky strait. The four quickly climbed back up to the top to make the journey back to the Hale house.

{}{}{}{}

Erik and Robin slept in late, Erik spooning into his mate and drowning in the amazing scent, the occasional kiss…or lick…causing Robin to laugh in his sleep. Erik studied the detailed sun tattoo that caused all of the recent problems. It _was_ a beautiful piece of work, centered exactly between his shoulder blades and each flame around the edge rendered in fine detail. He had no animosity towards Harris for doing it (although he would like to have been asked), but it seemed as if Harris acknowledged the bond he had with Robin, how perfectly they matched. Moon and Sun. Batman and Robin. Protector…and protected. Erik growled softly in his throat. Too many people had tried to hurt his mate. Anson…Stucky…that lump of a bouncer…and then…

The boulder image flashed through his mind again. Then it was gone.

No matter. Anyone that tried it in the future would get a fucking surprise.

A _huge_ fucking surprise.

He gripped Robin tightly around the stomach, trying to get closer to him, to get inside him. Robin flexed against him, and Erik was reminded that his mate was strong too, as powerful as he…the gift that had been given by the…

Erik's brow furrowed.

The gift given by…the wolf…under the stone…

"_Fenrir._" Robin muttered.

"Fenrir." Erik mumbled back.

Robin twisted in his grip until they were facing each other, pulling him impossibly closer and kissing him savagely, grinding his body against Erik's, trying to enter him as fiercely as Erik did so often. Erik came fully awake, surprised at this sudden shift in their usual play. But what Robin wanted, Robin got. That was Erik's purpose in life, giving Robin everything he could ever want. Erik closed his eyes and surrendered his body to his mate, allowing himself to be rolled face down into the mattress. Robin wrapped his arm tightly around his mate's neck, biting into Erik's shoulder with his human teeth first and then…the sharper ones. Then there was that brief and timeless moment before the pain, that trembling on the threshold to a new world, before Robin aligned himself and thrust in deep. The pain came and went like a thunderclap, and Erik kept the surprised shout of his lost innocence locked inside him so that Robin could take his pleasure without restraint. In fact, he began to tease his mate, to exhort him to greater effort, trying to be the indestructible vessel Robin needed him to be.

Something had changed in him, Erik could sense it already. Whatever happened last night had done away with the Robin that was afraid of so much, and left a warrior in his stead. It was still Robin…only stronger. Erik wanted to get to know this new Robin very much.

Finally, Robin brought them _both_ over the edge in the near-mythical fashion of erotic fantasy. Robin rolled off of him, laughing at his own daring, at his own strength.

"You…you really let me do that." he panted.

"Didn't I once tell you 'Anything of mine is yours'? I meant it. And I enjoyed it as much as you did. I hope you weren't holding off on my account."

"Something got into me."

"I think that's my line." Erik laughed.

"Holy fuck, Batman. I love you." Robin said this in the manner of one who means it with his whole heart.

"Ditto, Robin."

Robin smacked him with a pillow. Erik fled the bed, and pulled Robin after him.

"I love you back. You're everything to me." Erik said seriously.

"Let's shower, and spend the rest of the day in this room. Things are coming…"

Robin looked like he had no idea why he said that.

"Let's do it. The war is tomorrow, but today is ours."

As Erik pulled him into the shower, he realized he had no idea why he said that either.


	18. Chapter 18

_New Council Headquarters_

"So, let me get this straight. Three gay werewolves are going to end the world?" Captain Leif Thorbardin asked. After twenty years in the mercenary game, this was by far the weirdest mission he'd ever been sent on.

Gallows glared at him through his one good eye. "Who they sleep with has no relevance; the fact of the matter is that there is a solar eclipse tomorrow. Six days after that there will be a lunar eclipse. If they are still alive by the time that happens, and if they manage to find the prison of the Chained God, then the world…as we know it…will end. Have you ever owned a dog?"

Thorbardin was caught off guard by the odd question. "Yes, when I was a teenager."

Gallows smiled indulgently. "Have you ever seen that dog play with a chew toy? One shaped like a ball, perhaps?"

'He's insane. The money is righteous…but he's definitely a few sticks short of a bundle.' thought the muscle bound mercenary. Out loud, he said: "Yeah, sure."

Gallows nodded, still smiling. He was suddenly right in front of Thorbardin, picking the hugely muscled soldier up by the neck. The grizzled commander was impossibly strong.

"THAT'S WHAT THE GOD-ROTTING WOLF WILL DO TO THE WORLD, YOU MEAT-HEADED IMBECILE! NOW STOP ASKING MORONIC QUESTIONS AND GET YOUR MEN TOGETHER TO FIND THEM AND _CUT THEM IN HALF!"_ he bellowed right in Thorbardin's face.

Gallows released Thorbardin and dropped him to the ground, where he lay choking and nursing his bruised windpipe.

"I'm sorry, son. These endgames…they always bring out the worst in me. The traitors decimated the Council; as luck would have it our finest Hunters were all gathered there for the briefing when the complex was destroyed. I had one small team of commandos left…and they were killed in the line of duty by a boulder thrown at their helicopter. Do you have any idea how much boulders weigh?"

Thorbardin's sarcastic side wanted to ask if that was a moronic question, but his windpipe (perhaps in an effort to save his life) remained stubbornly closed. He merely shook his head 'no'.

Gallows embarked on a lecture as if he were teaching a freshman seminar for a community college.

"The average sandstone boulder weighs 150 pounds per cubic foot. This boulder was _granite_, weighing 175 pounds per cubic foot. The complete unbroken spheroid was measured at 64 cubic feet…roughly 10,240 pounds. That is over 5 tons, I might add…and it was thrown like a goddamned _baseball!_ The velocity of the boulder was estimated to be just over 100 miles per hour…a speed that would put your average baseball pitcher in the Guinness Book of World Records, faster even than Ron Guidry who played for the New York Yankees…and had the nickname 'Louisiana Lightning'. That is why you are being paid such an enormous sum, and that is why you are _not_ to underestimate your quarry for any reason. These beings are the most dangerous predators the world has ever known, and the three I want you to destroy make the average werewolf look like the _**Pokey Little Puppy**_!"

Gallows leaned down and glared into Thorbardin's face once more.

"So the very least of your concerns should be whether or not they'd want to 'tap your ass'. Am I understood?"

Thorbardin nodded again.

"Excellent. Now, the two young wolves and the adult Alpha will be doing their best to remain human until after the lunar eclipse. Sheer idiocy, since this will deliver the victory into our hands. If we can kill even one of them, they lose the war. Therefore, you are to kill _none _of the other Betas until one of the Big Three is dead, since this would trigger the appearance of the Avatars. Then you can wipe them out at leisure. Should you succeed in your mission, your names will be glorified for all time…you will have carried out the grand objective of an ultra-secret order that began under the auspices of Pope and King…and which now consists of myself and four bloody computer geeks. I have provided you with satellite maps of the protected forest land of Beacon Hills…and I can find no trace of the prison that holds Fenrir. Once we have dealt with the wolves, we will find and destroy the cage… and the being inside it…forever. The weapons that your men will need are in the armory on level three. Do not waste a single round of ammunition…it is costly and difficult to procure since our supplier…went over to the other side. That concludes your briefing. If you have any further questions…please feel free to ask me!"

"What…what about human casualties?" Thorbardin gasped out.

"The scopes I gave you will let you and your men tell a werewolf even in human form. The data we gathered before we lost the spy tech tells me that none of the families of these monsters are human anymore, with the exception of the Bradley boy's parents. However, they are no longer in Beacon Hills. So feel free to cut down any human that gets in your way."

"B-but…"

Gallows dismissed him, and the merc crawled through the automatic doors with barely a whimper, leaving his question unanswered: Weren't they doing this to _save_ humans?

{}{}{}{}

Stiles looked up from Eowin Radcliffe's book, his expression grave.

"No…please no…" his voice broke, and the book fell from his fingers. He leaned back in his office chair, and gave himself over to a despair greater than he had ever known…greater even than when he lost his mother to cancer at a mere six years of age. Great racking sobs broke forth from him, and his lungs felt as if they had become giant pieces of jagged glass. The book contained a revelation he utterly failed to see the significance of when he first read it nearly twenty years before. He had no idea at the time that the prophecies the book spoke of referred to his beloved son.

Erik was going to change the world.

He was alone in the house. He walked slowly up the stairs to the bedroom he shared with Derek, and looked at a framed picture that never left his bed table. A picture of his mother.

"Mom…what am I going to do?" he moaned. If only she were here, she would have an answer. But she was dead and gone…and soon, a lot of other people would be dead and gone too.

He looked at another picture that hung between the two closets…a beaming Stiles and Derek standing side by side with Erik and Laurie (both 6 at the time) on their shoulders. That day…and so many since then… had been the happiest days of his life. Stiles felt cheated by the short time he had with his mother, had never forgiven the universe for taking her from him. And now that same universe was planning to take everything else away too…_had been_ planning to take it all away for hundreds of years. The end of the world waited for Stiles Stilinski to show up just so it could kick him in the teeth.

He felt it build up inside him, and quickly left the bedroom, marching down the stairs (pulling his shirt off and dropping it to the floor) and out the back door (leaving his shoes and socks behind) just as he went full Beta and took off into the woods clad only in his black shorts. His eyes burned a hellish amber, and the denizens of the forest fled from the predatory reek his body exuded. The instructions in the book were simple. Find the stump, and follow a pathway whose design had been etched into his brain since he was sixteen years old…the first time he had seen it tattooed on the back of his future mate.

He felt the forest change around him even after he completed the first circuit…it looked and smelled different, just slightly, and he was sure that if he tried to find the house again, he wouldn't be able to…at least, not in the usual way. The sun had an orange cast.

Completing the second circuit confirmed his suspicions; no trees existed like this on Earth. The leaves were no longer solely green, many were a blend of pink and white, and the earth had gone from a dark brown to almost a light red. The dappled sunlight was nearly blue. The path was taking him through some barrier in reality to a place that was close by, yet infinitely far. The triskelion was not only the map, but the road itself.

The third circuit took him through a dying wood growing from blackened earth. The trees were gnarled and tough…but their life force was ebbing. Soon, they would be petrified monuments in an arboreal graveyard. A small white weak sun hung dejectedly in the sky, which was the gray of ash from horizon to horizon. The clearing the stump had been in was replaced by a lake that contained no life. Stiles waded through the water until he reached the island of black rock in the center.

"NO." Stiles said to the being that slept beneath the stone.

Nothing happened. Time passed slowly; there was almost an expectant silence in the air…the sense of waiting that would soon come to an end.

"Did you hear me? I said NO!" Stiles stomped his bare foot.

The ground seemed to tremble slightly. Stiles looked up and realized that the shoreline around the island was completely ringed with hundreds of wolves. They sat and stared at him, making no move to advance and attack. Nor did they retreat.

"You don't need the wolves; I am not going ANYWHERE until you agree to keep my family out of whatever game you're playing!"

The tears started again, pouring from the glowing amber eyes.

"Damn you! Derek lost his whole family! I lost my mother! We've already had _everything_ taken from us once! _YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO US __**AGAIN!"**_

Stiles fell to his knees, once again wracked with grief…not for losses that he'd suffered…but for losses that he knew were inevitable.

He fell forward, placing his ear to the rock, trying to see if he could hear anything, any acknowledgement from the Beast that his cries were being heard. There was nothing.

Stiles pounded his fists bloody, screaming incoherently as his life force soaked into the rock.

The island began to shake.

Stiles rolled over onto his back, terrified. Something under the rock speared upward, penetrating his neck. He shouted as darkness took him.

Stiles remembered Scott telling him once that the mad Alpha Peter Hale had once stabbed his claws deep into his neck and shown him a vision of the Hale fire, and those who were responsible. It was a phantasmagoric montage of images that Scott could barely comprehend, and he'd been overwhelmed by the raw grief and anger that colored Peter's memories. He experienced such a vision now, but it was cloudy and distorted…as if the memories were incredibly old.

{}{}{}{}

_The Time Before Time_

The Wolf had been born of malice, as had his siblings, in a realm not of Earth. A god of spite and mischief fathered them in an attempt to overthrow the old order and establish a new reign. The others were banished, having colluded with their treacherous father in his plans and been caught out by the god King who was both wise and cunning. But the Wolf had refused, and such was his power that he was safe from his father's wrath. The Wolf attempted to befriend the gods his father sought to destroy (since he despised oath-breakers), and at first it seemed as if they accepted his pledge of loyalty. He hunted with them and fought by their side. With Fenrir, no prey escaped and no battle was lost. His strength and power grew over time, and there seemed to be no end to it. He grew ever larger, ever fiercer…but still remained bound by his oath. Eventually, he found a mate and whelped his first litter…two proud pups he named Hati and Sköll. Together, their names formed the creed by which Fenrir lived: 'He Who Hates Treachery' The Wolf rejoiced in his new family, and vowed that his own ever-increasing might and that of his pups would forever be at the disposal of the gods who had befriended him; a devoted lineage that would insure their divine reign would last forever. He would have gone against his own father in accordance with this oath had the malicious deity not already been imprisoned.

Fenrir celebrated each victory with the gods in the mead hall…though with every day that passed they seemed more troubled by his presence. He had grown large, true, but surely they would know they had nothing to fear…or so he thought. Eventually only one of the gods, the youngest, was brave enough to approach him, or bring him food, though all seemed to welcome his company.

They played a game with him, bringing him ever stronger chains to bind him with and laughing delightedly when the great Wolf broke the bindings with ease. Fenrir himself was amazed at his own strength…nothing they forged could hold him. They told him his fame could only increase with each test of strength.

Then one of the gods said they had something special to show him…they brought him to a black lake…to the island in the center and pointed to what at first seemed to be a golden spiral etched into the earth. The Wolf looked at the spiral intently; it seemed to be a slender golden thread. The odor of magic permeated the air. Far in the back of his mind, he felt the first scratching of an almost alien feeling…suspicion.

"Let us bind you, great Wolf, with this golden thread as a jest. Your fame will be far-reaching if you do this."

Fenrir responded "I will gain no fame from it if I tear apart such a thread, but if it is made with art and trickery, then even if it does look thin, I will not allow this cord to bind me."

The oldest and wisest of the gods stepped forward. "If you cannot break this slender thread, then we have nothing to fear from you and will set you free."

Fenrir thought before he spoke again. "If I cannot break free, you might choose to leave me bound. But rather than that you question my courage, let someone put his hand in my mouth as a pledge of good faith."

The old wise one chided him then, reminding him that they had pledged loyalty to each other. Still, Fenrir refused until the youngest god that was his friend offered his hand to the Wolf. Fenrir took it gently in his jaws, not wishing to even scratch the skin of his friend. The Wolf submitted then, and the golden spiral was wound around his form. He kicked once, twice, three times. The bind grew stronger. He waited then, not wishing to tangle himself further, giving a growl to show that he could not break the cord.

They laughed at him then and, enraged, the Wolf bit off the hand that once fed him. He jerked on the cord and pulled the old wise god towards him, the cord wrapping around his neck as he fell. Fenrir struggled mightily to strangle him, but the other gods rescued him. Then the cruel gods brought out Fenrir's mate and his pups, and slaughtered the young wolves before his eyes, severing their bodies in half with a gleaming sword. In fury, his mate clawed out the eye of the old god before she was subdued. She was bound and tortured for nine days. When she finally lay dead, the gods approached (more wary than ever). The Wolf opened his jaws wide and tried one last time to bite and tear, but they stuck the sword that had slain his family into his mouth and he howled in pain.

The gods fastened the end of the magic cord through an enormous stone and pounded it deep in the earth. They crushed his body under an enormous black slab and there left him to his fate. Fenrir howled and vowed revenge. The gods bound the spot away from the Nine Worlds, planting a sapling of the World Ash tree that was the source of their power to keep the way closed. To this day all the seedlings of that great tree had the power to bar the way of Fenrir and his brood. Thousands of years passed before the land around the entry point to the great prison was settled by Europeans who ignored the warnings of the natives that the land was cursed. The Ash Tree was cut down, and a way into the prison was opened. A river began to flow from the black lake emerging from the roots beneath the tree stump, a river contaminated with saliva pouring from the open mouth of Fenrir.

And the men who drank from that river were changed.

They gained the power of the werewolf, and were in turn betrayed and hunted by their own brothers. Their cries were heard by the Wolf, who spoke to them in dreams. They came to serve him, and some even sought to free the Beast, but this they could not do.

"One day, my sons will return…one will devour the sun, the other will devour the moon…and the strongest of your breed, one forged in the flames of blackest betrayal…he will bear the sign of my revenge…the god-King will be paid back three-fold for his crimes, and the men who hunt you at his command will be destroyed."

They listened long to the Wolf and the secrets were passed along to each new werewolf that was bitten or born.

But the gods did not fare well. War came to them, but without the Wolf on their side, the enemies of the gods attacked with new ferocity, and one by one the gods and their enemies fell in battle until only the old one remained… the last Power in existence but for the Wolf. Now he regretted his betrayal and imprisonment of the Wolf, and knew that if freed, the Wolf would finally have his revenge. The old god could no longer rely on his magic…a strange thing had happened. The men that once worshipped these gods and made them strong were no more. The old god in time became nothing more than a mere Immortal, a fraction of the being he once was.

But the Wolf only grew stronger as he gathered to him the souls of every werewolf that died in his name, and before long his strength far surpassed what he had even when free…and dwarfed the might of the god that had imprisoned him. One day, the bond would break, and he would finally hunt his prey…

…and devour him whole.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles slowly woke up. The slaughter of the young cubs, the torture of the female and the rage of Fenrir filled his mind as if he had lived through it himself. He spoke aloud, not even knowing if he would be heard.

"Now…you're going to take away _my_ mate…_my_ child and _his_ mate! I read it in the book…the next time they change into those monsters, it's going to be forever! All three of them will be gone! Well? What do you have to say about that? How do you justify what you're DOING TO ME?" Stiles roared at the end, wondering if he were pushing the creature just a bit too far.

One of the wolves was sitting next to him. He didn't see it approach; it seemed to materialize out of thin air. It was black furred, and looked at him with intelligent crimson eyes.

Stiles gave it a cautious wave. The wolf cocked its head and almost seemed to grin at him. Then, a voice spoke in his mind. It was more growl than voice, and the words were tinged with a barely noticeable female aura.

"_I speak for the Great Alpha. His voice would shatter your mind were you to hear it. Your cub and his mate would already be slaughtered if not for Him, along with the Beta who sought to protect them. By His will, the cub Robin was spared even before this when your son became the Avatar the first time. Your own mate was kept from harm when the fire took his family. You would _already _have lost them! Rejoice that you will have your daughter to console you in your grief. When Fenrir has settled with the traitor and paid him back for an eon of pain and despair…when He has pulled to pieces any who dared to raise arms against those of His blood…the rest of you and your descendants will live out your lives in peace, protected by three Immortal Avatars. No power in the world can stand against them…nay, not even with the dread world-destroying weapons human-kind has fashioned in their madness. It is worth the sacrifice, is it not? Do not interfere, or the Hunters and their mad fallen god will destroy you all. The Great Alpha does this to protect as well as avenge."_

Images flashed through his mind; Erik being tormented at school, Derek betrayed and tortured by Kate…and Robin, who had spent more than ten years in Hell. Stiles knew it was telling the truth; by its nature it was incapable of lying. The idea of his friends and loved ones living free and without worry was like an intoxicating drug…but the sacrifice would destroy him. The wolf in each of them was never more ferocious than when something threatened or hurt one of their own. Even Peter Hale had been driven by that all consuming passion, to the exclusion of all else. If the rest of them could be safe and free forever…the Whittemores, the Martins, the Argents and McCalls…his father, Scott's mother, Danny, Ted, Maria Kean…the children they would have, their children, wouldn't it be worth it?

Part of him wanted it to be over. Part of him was sick and tired of the constant worry, fear and all around anxiety one suffered when the people you loved happened to be werewolves. There had been Wolves and Hunters for so long…what would a world be like when the battle had finally been won? All Stiles needed to do to find out was give up three people he cared about. Could he really do that? Or should he risk _stopping_ the cataclysm and lose his family to the Hunters and that crackpot with the eye patch?

"_The Great Alpha bids you take the youngest cubs away until this battle is decided. The female without a mate will take them and care for them. They will have our Father's protection. Now go."_

The world seemed to tear apart, and Stiles found himself sitting near the old tree stump. He walked home, his heart heavy in his chest.

{}{}{}{}

Since Derek was the Alpha and had the largest house, and since it was constructed like a fortress with the ever-present threat of Hunters on his mind, it was decided that that the werewolves would all use it as their headquarters until the crisis was over. Danny went over the entire house, and checked everyone's cell phones for bugs and secured their Internet connection beyond any hope of spying by hostile forces. Stiles told Maria Kean would she would leave in the morning to take both Dylan and Christine and go into hiding with a false identity. She would keep them safe until she was given the all clear to return…if things worked out well. Dylan and Christine became hysterical, not wanting to leave their families…but in the end they had no choice. Funds were transferred into a secret account from all of the families to make sure they would be taken care of.

As they ate their last meal together, Stiles informed the group of what he had learned. Stunned silence met him.

"You can't be serious!" Ted exclaimed.

"You were there when it happened the second time, Ted. How else do you explain surviving an aconite bullet wound? How the helicopter was destroyed? How that car at the mall was smacked away before it could hit Robin? Erik turned once…he _and_ Robin turned the second time. Next time it will be Erik, Robin _and _Derek. When they decide to 'get large' on someone, they stay that way forever and Big Daddy gets free. Then they eat up all the Hunters and Captain Eyepatch and we get to be safe and happy forever."

"I won't let that happen, Sty." Derek said earnestly.

Stiles gave him a sidelong glance. "Sure thing, Der. All you have to do is keep from losing your temper for a _whole week_, no matter which of us gets hurt or killed. Your record of longest time without blowing your top is oh…six or seven hours."

Derek paled. He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to keep an Alpha's temper in check…and Derek wasn't exactly cool-headed as a Beta either. "I can do it. For you, for the kids…I'll do it."

"Der, anything happens to me or the kids…you won't have any reason to hold back…and you won't. Remember the night Porlock shot me?"

Derek growled, his eyes flashing crimson. Even Erik and Laurie shifted somewhat.

Stiles rubbed his mate's hand, and at his touch Derek turned both human and red-faced. "See what I mean? All three of you use that as your freaking trigger image. You've all got to keep cool from the time of the solar eclipse tomorrow until the lunar eclipse six days later. If you don't shift…the Wolf stays in jail and you guys avoid getting permanent fur coats."

"But if that happens, the Hunters will kill all of us. Dad, Pop…if it were just me and Robin….we'd do it for the rest of you. As long as we were together, it would be okay."

Laurie smacked her brother on the head. "Maybe _I_ would be upset if you were a giant wolf forever bro! Maybe Pop would be upset to lose his husband and son! Stop talking nonsense, this absolutely cannot be allowed to happen!"

Moose spoke up. "I uh, came out to my parents…I mean, as a werewolf." He blushed as quite a few of the assembled werewolves smirked at him. Laurie rolled her eyes. "I also told them that there was a pretty good possibility something would happen to me. They are staying away until I give them the all clear to come back, but it's really only hitting me now that something is going to happen…some of us are going to die. I can feel it. I'm going to do my best to stay alive and kick some Hunter ass, because I know Laurie…I can't even say it."

Laurie took his hand and squeezed it. "You guys are going to see a side of me you've never seen when we fight. We _have_ to take out the Hunters before Dad loses it. Agreed?"

Melissa McCall spoke up next. "We all have to fight for the people we love…I feel like I've been doing it my whole life. Scott…don't mourn me if anything happens. If I die, it will be doing what any mother would gladly do for her child. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Scott was crying unabashedly at his mother's words, hoping they weren't a foreshadowing of what tomorrow would bring. Allison hugged him tightly.

"These guys will get everything I can throw at them, as a Hunter AND werewolf!" she growled.

"Same goes for me." Spoke Chris.

"I second that." murmured Vivian.

"As an officer of the law, I cannot allow a vigilante group like these Hunters to disgrace my town with their presence. So, let's eat them."

Stiles laughed at that. "I never thought you'd eat anybody for me, Dad."

Ted was wiping his eyes with a napkin. "Shit, I thought I'd one day have to tear apart some rightwing nutcases to protect my family, but I never expected this."

Danny wrapped his arms around his mate. "We'll both do our best for Robin…for all of us."

"I feel like I shouldn't be leaving…" began Mrs. Kean.

"You have to," Derek told her. "You don't have a mate, so you won't suffer the Wasting if anything happens to us. In fact, in the worst case scenario where we are ALL killed…you'll inherit the Alpha position. You'll start a new Pack with Dylan and Christine and find somewhere to build again. Don't try to avenge us…just keep yourselves safe."

"P-please…take care of my son." Jackson said in a broken voice. "I made a book for you to give him when he comes of age. He…he'll know Lydia and I did this for him. He'll know giving him up was the hardest thing we ever had to do, but that we did it because we loved him more than anything."

"I will! And I will tell both of them how brave all of you were…if the worst happens." Mrs. Kean's faltered at the end.

"And tell him his mother was the baddest bitch the world ever saw." Lydia added.

Mrs. Kean, who disliked the use of profanity, colored slightly. "Um…yes, all right."

"I can't think who she gets that attitude from," said Thomas Martin.

"You'll see tomorrow." growled Catherine.

"This will be my first actual fight." Martha Whittemore said wonderingly. She looked around at the assemblage. "So, I guess…" her voice lost its usual timidity and deepened suddenly. "I'll be stripping the meat off their bones before I crack them in my teeth!" Everyone looked at her, shocked, until she responded in her normal voice: "I spent all night thinking that up! It was good, wasn't it?"

Her husband Roger patted her hand. "That was excellent, sweetheart. Practice it on those hags at the Ladies Auxiliary next week, would you?"

The anxiety triggered Pack instincts in everyone, causing them to spend the night in Derek's home where they knew they were safest. Only Maria was missing, having taken Dylan and Christine away to their new (and hopefully temporary) life. All of the mated pairs clutched each other in their beds, feeling the enemies circling in closer and closer. And although they were one and all afraid of what tomorrow would bring, the deepest and most wolfish parts of them relished the slaughter…and eagerly anticipated the release of the Great Alpha from his prison.

{}{}{}{}

Jackson was asleep (having taken a dose of the purified aconite tea to get him there) while Lydia sat up wide awake and wondered what Dylan must be feeling right at that moment without his mother by his side.

There was a soft knock at the door, and one sniff told her it was the son she had long ago given birth to for her Alpha. She checked the clock. Three freaking a.m. 'Oh well, I'm not sleeping anyway.' she thought.

"What is it? And…why are you guys in tuxedos?" she asked him. Robin stood nearby, fiddling with his necktie.

"Aunt Lydia…you're ordained, aren't you?" he asked pensively.

"Um yeah, but I haven't done anything since…oh my God…you want me to _marry_ you two?"

Erik blushed. "Please. The world could end tomorrow."

Lydia opened and closed her mouth. Being rendered speechless was not something that happened to her often.

"Go wake your parents. If I did this without them, they'd kill me."

Erik sighed with relief. "They're already out back, with Moose and Laurie. You still remember the ceremony?"

Lydia tapped the side of her head. "Nothing escapes here. Let's go." She grabbed her suitcase and followed them into the back yard.

Derek and Stiles sat on a bench across from Danny and Ted. All four men were wiping their eyes with handkerchiefs. Moose and Laurie stood on either side of a makeshift podium, ready to act as witnesses. Lydia took her place behind the podium, while Erik and Robin joined hands in front.

"Okay. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the middle of the night to join these men in the bonds of holy matrimony, two years earlier than is reasonably thought acceptable."

Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Do you, Erik Steven Hati…" Lydia stopped, looking stunned.

"Um, my name's Hale, Aunt Lydia." Erik whispered.

"That was weird, the word just slipped in there. Ugh…anyway, do you Erik Steven _Hale_ take Robin Taylor Sköll-" Lydia actually jumped.

"Dammit! What is going on here?" No one had an answer for her. The tone of the wedding went from the usual sad/happiness to almost fearful.

Lydia stamped her foot. "Do you take Robin Taylor _Stark_ as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse…hmm, we can't get sick so that next part's out…for richer or…even more richer, until you two become gigantic wolf-gods?"

Laurie face palmed herself. Moose was gaping at Lydia in shock. The parents were all glaring at her.

Erik rolled his eyes. "I do."

"Do you, Robin Taylor Stark take Erik Steven Hale as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for…well, you're rich too…hope you signed pre-nups…until you both become gigantic wolf-gods?"

Robin seemed oblivious to the insanity of Lydia's improvised marriage ceremony. "I do."

Erik unfolded a piece of paper he took from his pocket.

"Robin…the day I met you, I knew you were the 'one', because the wolf inside me told me so. I gave my heart to you before I even got to know you…but even if I had been human…I believe that it would have taken no time at all to fall in love with you the usual way. You are everything I ever wanted before I _knew_ what I wanted. I fell in love with your smile, your laughter, your courage, your selflessness, your warmth, your touch and the look you give me that says I have all the answers to every question and the solution to every problem…you make me feel that I can be anything, not only in your eyes but in the eyes of the world as well. I love you, and I have treasured every second we got to spend together.

Robin was crying silently, as was Erik. When they looked around, they saw they were not alone. Lydia was rubbing her eyes and sniffing furiously, Stiles was bawling, and Danny and Ted were shaking while they hugged each other.

Robin pulled out his own slip of paper, and began to read from it. Every few seconds he had to wipe his eyes with his sleeve to clear away the tears.

"Erik, the day you found me was like the day I was born. You pulled me from the dark place that was only just a shadow of life, and you brought me into the sunlight. I saw the world that I'd been missing, and it was more beautiful than I ever imagined because I got to see it through your eyes. You gave me my life, and I almost feel that giving you my own heart is not nearly enough to pay you back. You told me once that I was yours, and you have always treated me like I was the greatest gift you had ever been given. You are my protector, my friend, my lover, my companion, my brother, my other half…my mate. No matter what happens…I want us to be together forever, and I know we will be. No power on earth can separate us."

Lydia composed herself as best she could.

"Since Derek would rip out the throat of any objectors, I now pronounce you mates! You may…you may…oh, just start making out already, I don't know how you lasted this long anyway!" So saying, Lydia ran crying her head off back into the house and locked herself in her room next to her husband who had never picked a better night to drink the sleeping tea.

As requested, Erik and Robin kissed, and when it seemed obvious that they had no intention of coming up for air anytime soon, the three other couples went inside and gave them some privacy.

They finally broke apart some time later and looked at each other, unable to believe that they had really done it; they were now officially a couple.

Erik took out two ring boxes. The bands were a silvery-gray metal that seemed polished to a high gloss.

"Are these _silver?_" Robin asked. They had no effect on his skin.

"No, they are made of tungsten. They don't melt in anything less than 3,422 degrees Fahrenheit and they are scratch resistant and retain their shine forever. They are harder than steel, and are made from an ore called _wolframite_-"

"Do you have any idea how sexy you get when you get all science-y on me?" Robin interrupted him, proving his point with another lengthy kiss.

"That must be why everybody else hits me when I do it. Too much sexiness for them." Erik murmured around the kiss.

"Well, I love it. And you. Let's get to bed and see how fast we can claw these tuxedos off each other." Robin said huskily.

Without another word, Erik swooped his mate up in his arms and carried him through the patio door before setting him down and locking the house up and setting the alarm. Then he picked up his mate once more, and carried him to his room. As he slammed the door shut and they began to shred their tuxes off each other, Erik thought randomly that if this was going to be their last night on earth, the least the gods could do was make it last a thousand years.


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N – Hey all, this would have been posted over a week ago but was stuck on my dead computer thanks to Hurricane Sandy. This was by far the most difficult chapter to write, and it took me forever to get it to feel right. The Muse, once my best friend, had to be cajoled back until I could hit her over the head and lock her in my basement. (that's a metaphor, don't call the police). It occurred to me that this upcoming battle seemed to weigh strongly in favor of the wolves; one fallen God and a few mercs versus an army of werewolves and a trio of Avatars? No contest. This chapter addresses that, but doesn't feature any of our favorite characters. I apologize, but it was necessary to the flow of the story. The gang will be back next chapter, which will be up very soon, though I am still reeling from the news about Jackson's character in Season 3. I am devastated, and I have no idea how to process this. Ah well. I made every effort to blend the mythology of this story into that established by J.D., and I think it neatly explains Kanima-dom. Please read…and don't forget that Muses require reviews for sustenance, and mine is already starving in my damp musty basement.**_

Creighton Gallows walked through the rusted gates of the Beacon Hills cemetery to regard the rows of dead laid out before him. The wolves were poised for victory; they were recruiting amongst their own families, the attacks against the Avatars had failed, and he had only an unreliable mercenary outfit to call his army. Even so, Gallows could have claimed victory easily had he even a fraction of his own former strength.

The bulk of his magic had been gone for centuries, but the bindings he created at the height of his power were still his to control. In ages past, he was strong enough to bind two of the children of the accursed trickster god; only Fenrir was too powerful and had required help. The rope that bound the Wolf was forged in another world by dwarven smiths that were powerful, skilled…and capricious. They were masters of the craft; their inventions were said to trump even the power of the gods…but all too often their gifts were perilous, as was the case with the golden cord. After the Wolf was bound, the smiths appeared to Gallows…they told him the cord was meant to bind a _traitor_ for eternity, but the Wolf was guilty of no betrayal…and so one day he would be free.

Gallows cursed at the memory…he could not find the Wolf's prison any longer (or this war might have ended before it even began) since the ability to step across dimensions the way a mortal uses rocks to cross rivers had long since deserted him.

But Gallows had built other cages (and far more _accessible_ ones) in the dim and misty past… and now he intended to rattle them.

Gallows stopped at a plain tombstone. Unlike almost all of the others, this one showed no evidence of visiting mourners. Not a single flower had ever graced this grave since its occupant was interred so many years ago. Gallows read the name and lost himself in memory…

Kate Argent was the embodiment of the Hunter breed: dedicated, focused and above all ruthless. It was under Gallows' personal orders that the Hale home had been torched so many years ago…his last attempt to prevent the prophecies from coming true. Fool that he was, he failed to remember that often when you tried to _prevent_ the worst from happening, you became the thing that _caused_ it. He had no idea that Kate would use deceit and betrayal as her weapons when she wiped out the Hale Pack. When the sixteen year old Derek told his father about the beautiful woman that had initiated him into the mysteries of sex _without_ Derek's wolf recognizing her as his true mate, he must have known that it was Derek who would become the Harbinger 'forged by blackest betrayal'. What betrayal could be worse than that of a young boy's heart, an innocent love freely given for the first time?

The Triskelion Sigil would have awakened for Derek the moment the fire was set and the house ringed with Mountain Ash. Kate also had armed Hunters poised outside, ready to cut down any who emerged from the inferno. Erick Hale, when faced with the decision to release his doomed family from their chains in a futile attempt at escape or to fulfill the prophecy that would allow him complete and final revenge, made his decision… and inked the Sigil into his son's body before the fire completely consumed the house.

Gallows would never know this, but the human members of the family were all bitten by Erick before they died to insure their place in the Great Pack. They too must be given their chance at revenge. All he knew was that Laura Hale escaped with her brother when the deed was done; Erick Hale (ever the martyr) sacrificed himself to pass on the Alpha rank to his daughter, as his own ancestor Eowin had done for his son, knowing that the power of the prophecy and Fenrir would protect them both…though Laura would enjoy that protection only for a short time. Along with the siblings went the package bound for the unknown human agent...now revealed to be Adrian Harris. Gallows chuckled; the chemistry teacher was absolutely the _last_ person Gallows would have suspected, considering the role that he had played in the destruction of the Hales.

Gallows had pieced the mystery together over the years, and chided himself for his oversight. Kate was not at fault; Gallows had not seen fit to tell her about the prophecies and warn her to use a more _open_ approach. When she returned to the Council triumphant and informed Gallows of the success of her secret mission, he cautioned her to share her victory with no one but him. The Council was not yet his…though it soon would be. Kate was his protégée, and the only human woman that had captured his interest in thousands of years. They became lovers, the only people that awakened sparks of feeling in each of their cold and dead hearts. Gallows had no idea what had turned Kate into the warrior she was…his Valkyrie, his Chooser of the Slain…but he was grateful for it. Her death six years later had rocked him to his core.

But now, it was time for her to achieve her true destiny. Up in the sky, the solar eclipse was just beginning. While the natural energy of the universe was focused in this way, Gallows could make use of it for his own ends.

Gallows lifted his eyepatch and felt the lids that had long ago been sewn together, not so much to cover the empty socket but to hide a sinister treasure. It was an immensely powerful thing, but could unfortunately only be fully utilized by _feminine_ hands. He pulled a Swiss Army knife from his pocket and slit the ancient threads, registering the pain not at all. The opening revealed not a gore-encrusted socket, but a jewel that he plucked out with some difficulty. Replacing the patch, he cleaned jewel with a handkerchief and held it over the grave. When he took his hand away, the jewel remained suspended there, focusing the rays of the suns corona barely visible at the edges of the eclipse.

The ground covering the grave began to shake. With an earsplitting crack, the tombstone cracked in half.

The corrosive black light began to eat a hole in the earth, exposing the top of a decaying coffin. The lid crumbled to ash, allowing the black light to bathe the corpse.

The head snapped towards him. The mouth opened, releasing a nauseating stench. Gallows coughed and backed away, snatching the jewel out of the air.

A strange thing began to happen to the corpse. The right half of its body began to regenerate itself (along with the right half of the clothing it wore) while the left half remained decayed. The wispy decayed hair filled out on one side and grew down to her shoulder.

With slow, deliberate movement, the thing crawled from the coffin. Gallows reached down and took her hand, easily lifting her out.

She turned her face so that the only the restored side were visible.

"Creighton? There's…there's someone in here with me. What's…happening…?"

The voice sounded confused…not scared, to her credit…but very confused.

Before he could answer, the face whipped the other way. The empty socket regarded him from the ravaged face.

"_You have what is Mine. Give it to me!" _The decayed hand came up, rotted fingers splayed. Gallows rose into the air, and felt his head twist slowly to the side until he screamed in agony.

The Kate-thing grunted a word in the language of Death, and Gallows flew backward into the wall of a mausoleum. The stone cracked, and Gallows slid to the ground.

"Help me, and it's yours!" he shouted.

"_Help_ you?" the voice asked. It sounded faintly amused.

She walked over to where Gallows lay (her body trailing ashes as she went), and the rotting fingers gently stroked Gallows' cheek. Where she touched, the cheek sank inward, the side of his face becoming gaunt and stretched tightly over the skull. His remaining eye yellowed and darkened, and the thick iron-grey hair became white and fine.

Gallows felt a pain in his chest…she was leeching the life from him…immortality was no proof against the incarnation of Death itself.

"_This is the only 'help' I offer, Gallows-God. It is my gift to you. Enjoy_." she whispered hotly in his ear. The stench was impossible this side of Hell.

"Kate…d-don't let her…do th-this…" Gallows muttered with his remaining breath.

The fingers pulled away. Slowly, his flesh returned to normal as his immortality reversed the damage. If he had been human, he would already be dead.

The thing shook its head violently back and forth.

"_No! Impossible! This…cannot…be!_"

Gallows laughed grimly as he stood.

"You may be the Goddess of Death, Hel. _But so was Kate, in her own way._ If anybody can keep you in line, it's _her_.

The skull-face snapped upward, and the half-mouth shrieked. Hundreds of birds took flight from nearby trees at the sound, and more than a few dozen plummeted to earth dead. The grass under her feet turned brown and died, the decay expanding around her in a widening circle. Gallows watched with trepidation as the edge of the circle came closer and closer. Then it stopped.

The restored half of her face looked at him. "Sweetie…it has been _far_ too long!"

Gallows breathed a sigh of relief. He now stood a chance.

Kate walked over to Gallows who held out the Eye of Hel (which served as both her prison and the source of the Death Goddess' power), and plucked it deftly from his hand. Fitting it into the remains of her own empty eye socket caused the complete restoration of her body. She looked as she had just before Peter Hale ripped out her throat. The jewel turned into a functioning eye, though dead black in color.

"Ahhhhhh! That is so much better! The _other_ is trapped within me now. Everything she knows, everything she _was_ is now mine…all of her power is at your disposal, sweetie. Now…tell your favorite kick-ass Hunter exactly…what…I can do for you."

Kate approached and ran a finger softly up the Gallows' chest, causing him to shudder as long-forgotten feelings surged within him.

"The Hunters are all but wiped out. I need an army, Kate. Can you find me one?"

Kate smiled broadly at him. "Too easy, baby. Your army is right _here."_

Kate whipped her head to the side, and glared around at the graveyard, whispering something Gallows could not hear. The dead black eye shone as one by one, every tombstone in the graveyard began to crack in half. The earth trembled underfoot as the decaying occupants slowly clawed their way through to the surface of the darkened world.

"Hpmph. I guess the dead really do rise at the End of Times. So much for me ditching Bible Study. Listen babe, our army needs a General…someone a little smarter than these guys are going to be. Did you have anyone in mind?" she asked, as the zombie hoard assembled in front of them, all of the dead of Beacon Hills buried since the town was founded (barring it's werewolf population; those corpses remained still).

"Thorbardin would serve well; but he's loyal to his men, and I don't think he has the stomach, wit or instinct to handle this situation. I need to elevate him somehow."

"Then we need to visit Hel's brother."

Gallows spat to the side. "The Wolf? Are you mad?"

"No…her _other_ brother."

Slowly, an evil smile crept over Gallows' face.

{}{}{}{}

A light house stood at the highest point in Beacon Hills, overlooking the ocean where it stood poised on the edge of the cliff. It was a magnificent specimen of classical architecture, lovingly maintained by generations of keepers so that it seemed as if it were built yesterday. It was for this lighthouse that the town of Beacon Hills was named. Two figures walked up to the elderly gentleman who was the current keeper of the structure. Pleased to see visitors, he smiled and waved at them. Kate approached and wrapped her arms around the surprised man's neck, brought his face up to hers and kissed him. He screamed as flesh boiled on his body, aging to putrefaction in moments before falling off in steaming hunks that quickly turned to ash. The bones fell a second later, collapsing into a pile of powder.

They entered and made their way up the long winding staircase until they reached the armature that housed the giant light bulb. Kate leaned over and breathed softly on the bulb. The glass turned dark, and it gained a black radiance that seemed to absorb light rather than shed it.

"Seal the town." Gallows told her. Kate nodded softly, and uttered a few short words that would have been unpronounceable for a human. A black beam shot up, blowing the roof of the lighthouse to bits and racing skywards to the conjoined sun and moon. The darkness spread outward, forming a dome that encompassed all of Beacon Hills. From this moment, none would enter or leave until Ragnarok was over.

The two quickly stepped outside to the circular balcony that ringed the top of the lighthouse and stood next to a foghorn present since the lighthouse was built. Kate once more leaned over and let her breath waft over it. The metal darkened until it resembled obsidian, and Gallows took hold of the small crank and wound it three times. The shocking noise that roared across the ocean caused a tremor to rock Beacon Hills. People screamed and dropped what they were holding at the horrendous sound. Sleeping residents bolted awake as if from nightmare, and at least one unfortunate citizen drove his car into a ditch, killing him instantly, though two stowaway children on board managed to survive.

"That was enough to awaken Him. Now _you_ just have to get His attention. Good luck with that!" Kate laughed softly. Something danced in her eyes (well, the human one anyway) that Gallows didn't exactly like. Then again, sharing your body with the Goddess of Death was likely to warp anyone's sense of humor. The two made their way down to the base of the lighthouse, and stood atop the cliff overlooking the ocean. Gallows racked his brain for the Summoning, and it came to him after a few moments, though he had last thought of it some years before the human race sported thumbs.

Gallows held his arms high, and shouted orders at the tide…much like King Canute once did to show his people that some things were beyond even a king's dominion. 'Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.' he had proclaimed.

The tide failed to obey the King…but the bellow of the cursed foghorn (combined with the power of the eclipse) lent power to his words, and at Gallow's command the ocean began to boil.

Something moved beneath the waves, something that had slept since even before the Wolf was imprisoned. A voice echoed in his mind.

_"What do you sssseek, All-Father? Or ssshould I sssay 'All-Traitor!"_ the voice hissed into his mind. It practically seethed with hatred and scorn.

Gallows swallowed noisily. The power he sensed was unimaginable…Fenrir was not the only creature that grew strong even when chained. "Hail, Mid-gard Serpent! Soon I will battle Your brother for the last time, Jormungandr! Aid me, and I will repay you!"

Mocking laughter echoed through his mind. _"Fool! You cassst me into the oceansss, forced Me to ssswallow my tail and encircle this world of pitiful mortals, and now you ssseek My aid? Begone! I would not aid you, even if you ssspoke the truth…which you do not! You would never free Me! Your heart isss blacker than Mine, blacker even than My father'ssss! May Fenrir crack your bonessss in Hissss teeth!"_

"I have no reason to lie. I will _not_ free you, but I can reward you in other ways. You are hungry, serpent? I can provide you with flesh to sate your appetite! An army of men to feast on!" Gallows would sacrifice every human in the town to the serpent if it required it. What use would he have for them once the Wolf was dead?

The sibilant voice hissed as it considered his words.

_"What would you have me do? I am bound by your handsss, and know not what favor you wisssh of Me."_

"Fenrir has an army filled with His essence. Give us a soldier filled with _yours_ to fight them!" Kate shouted.

The sibilant voice was filled with malice as it hissed with laughter.

_"You are… not quite My sister! Yet you wisssh Me to sssire a Ssserpent's Child? Sssuch has not been done for agesss…" _The Serpent under the waves considered._ "Very well…sssend to Me your warriorsss…I will devour all but one, the sssstrongest, who ssshall receive My gift."_

Gallows smiled grimly before unclipping a walkie from his belt.

"Thorbardin! This is Gallows. Move the ship close to shore. I have…a little training exercise for you."

"Roger that. ETA in thirty. Thorbardin out." came the static filled voice.

{}{}{}{}

Thorbardin looked out over the ocean from the crow's nest. The sky was doing funny things, aside from the eclipse. There was a dark purple haze in the air…the sky over Beacon Hills was the color of fresh bruises, and there was a leaden feeling in his chest at the sight of it. The ship drew in close to shore, and Thorbardin spied Gallows and some woman standing on the cliff top, regarding them silently. Then the ship struck something beneath the waves. Worried they had gone aground on some hidden reef, Thorbardin peered into the water…and what he saw made him quail with terror.

A baleful golden eye was regarding him from beneath the surface. A serpentine iris widened slightly as it glared at him. The gold was embedded in a sea of green scales, and was larger than the ship itself. Thorbardin screamed as the ship was struck again, cracking in two like a china plate in a shooting gallery. Thorbardin leapt as far overboard as he could just as the enormous fanged jaws broke the surface and closed over the ship. It looked like the nightmare child of a dragon and a pit viper, its green diamond-patterned scales reflecting emerald light into his eyes. The screams of his men were cut off, disappearing beneath the ocean as the monster sank once more. Instead of swimming away, he let himself be carried by the enormous wave, knowing that he would never make it to shore if the thing sensed his movements. Looking below, he screamed again as he spotted the baleful eye…directly beneath him. That was when the voice filled his mind.

"_Your fellowssss will take a thoussssand yearssss to die. Do not dream of esssscape. You are Mine, now and forever! Would you live, and be sssstronger than all your wretched race? Tell Me sssswiftly, elsssse be devoured with the resssst!"_

"YES! Please, whoever you are, don't kill me!" the soldier shouted.

Golden lights began to flow upward from the enormous eye.

_"Assss My Agent, you will be beyond Death. Come to Me!"_

Thorbardin swallowed what would likely be his last real breath of air, and looked downward once more at the impossibly huge creature that writhed beneath him. It occurred to him that the day might come when he wished he had chosen otherwise.

A single tear joined the salt water of the sea as he let himself slowly sink beneath the waves.

Then the ocean turned black.

{}{}{}{}

"Kate, let's go. We have debts to pay. _Old _debts."

Kate gave him that half-smile he had always loved. She took his arm in hers and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Thanks for getting me back, sweetie. You know, one thing they never tell you about the afterlife…it's so _boring!_ I mean, come on…burning, for all eternity? I stopped screaming a week into it. It tapered off to just being tedious after a while. Did you gods not put _any _imagination into the torture of souls? Put _me_ in charge down there, and watch what happens."

"Help me finish the job we started, and you _can_ be in charge down there."

She let go of him and skipped a few steps ahead, Gallows noting only dimly that the trailing ashes continued to fall from her. "So, you want to rule the world and Underworld with me by your side, Creighton-baby?" she smiled as she turned to face him. She slowly began to unbutton her blouse. He groaned at the sight of her full breasts as she let the garment drop to the ground.

In answer, he kissed her. She held her power in check, and the kiss did him no harm. He lay her gently down on the ground as he fumbled with his own clothing. They took their time with their lovemaking; for Gallows, it had been entirely too long. The world could go to Hel for all he cared, as long as Kate was his.

{}{}{}{}

When the first light of the ending eclipse lanced downward and struck the water, a naked form crawled through the surf. Thorbardin's tanned muscular body had now turned a pale alabaster white. The blond hair on his head had fallen out, though it did nothing to detract from his appearance. As his strength slowly returned, he gained his feet and looked around. He was alone on the beach. The bodies of his mercs would never be found, though to be truthful no thought of them projected itself on the blank screen of his mind.

The voice from under the sea, the voice that came from the gargantuan snake that lay under the ocean, once more echoed through his mind.

"_Find the one you once sssserved…"_

Thorbardin's lips moved, though barely any sound came forth. The thing in the sea heard him, though. "Do I not serve him still?"

The response was accompanied by the horrifying sound of a serpent laughing:

_"We sssshall sssseeee!"_

A shudder ran through Thorbardin, and his skin began to darken as the ridges of new scales quietly erupted from his flesh. His eyes turned golden, the reptilian irises glinting in the false twilight brought on by the eclipse. In his open mouth, there were teeth beyond count.

Awaiting him further down the beach was a motionless army of corpses. They stood in silent rank and file, their grinning death's heads regarding him with soulless delight, knowing that they would soon be adding to their ranks among the unsuspecting populace of Beacon Hills. As one, the dead wordlessly saluted their new commander, only the creaking of long unused leathery ropes of muscle breaking the silence. Some of the corpses were newly dead… those unlucky souls that encountered the zombies on their march from the cemetery down to the beach were killed without mercy, and partially feasted upon before the will of Hel animated them and swelled the ranks of their Slayers. Each death meant a new soldier, the army of Hel would grow until all of Beacon Hills was a Necropolis. If Gallows won, the same fate would await the whole world.

Thorbardin took his place at the front line, and with a loud hiss he began to search for his prey.

{}{}{}{}

Had Mrs. Kean learned to control her new gifts a little better…had she been able to use her senses just a little more efficiently, it would never have happened. The two children were communicating in a language that they had apparently invented a while ago; perhaps necessary for mischief-making in a world where parents and fun-stopping adults had the very sharpest of ears. They must have come up with this plan during the car ride some time after all of the screaming and hysterics about wanting to be with their parents had finally tapered off. Maria remembered the pickup truck at the gas station bound for Beacon Hills; remembered the urge she had to tell the driver to steer clear for the next week or so. As she bought some snacks in the gas station convenience store, the truck roared off…obviously taking the two children with it. Maria got back in her car and drove as fast as she could, eating up the miles back to town and yet failing to spot the truck until she came to the border of Beacon Hills. She finally found the truck in a ditch, the driver dead and his vehicle empty. The strong scents of the children still lingered, and Mrs. Kean made to follow the trail…but something was stopping her. A wall that was invisible except for a slight violet haze ran as far as she could see from left to right and up into the sky. Beacon Hills was sealed off from the world, and the two helpless children were trapped inside with gods and monsters.


	20. Chapter 20

Dylan and Christine huddled underneath a small van parked on Main Street in the Beacon Hills town square. Dylan's face was nearly black from crying and then rubbing his face with dirty hands in an attempt to stop. Christine had not cried once (and Dylan's admiration for his lifelong friend had doubled and doubled again at her strength), but her lower lip trembled now and then. Whether it was from anger or fear, he couldn't tell. Perhaps it was both.

When the last troop of the living dead passed them by, they made a break for it and ran into a hardware store, locking the door behind them. The owner had run out into the street (along with most of the other remaining residents of Beacon Hills) in an attempt to escape. From the screams they heard in the distance, his escape attempt failed.

Christine sniffed out the store while Dylan sat against a wall and huddled into himself, shaking uncontrollably. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she went about locking all the windows and doors and closing the shutters so that no one would be able to see inside. The hardware store was fortified against breaking and entering more than any other merchant on the street, so they would be safe for a while. She tried the phone with no success. She picked up a machete from a nearby shelf and gave it a few practice swings before putting it down regretfully. She was simply not strong enough to wield it efficiently. Christine looked at her small, delicate looking hands and wished harder than ever that they were capable of sprouting deadly claws so that she could rip those zombies to shreds. She caught her trembling lip in her teeth and bit it until she tasted blood.

She didn't notice when the small cut sealed itself shut.

Dylan let something out that was between a whimper and a groan, and Christine quickly grabbed a small hunting knife and strapped it to her belt before going over to him. Sitting down next to him, she put one arm around him, feeling an unusual surge of protectiveness and rage at his fright, and she racked her brain for a way to calm him down.

"We'll be okay, Dyl-weed. Our parents and our Alphas have fought monsters lots of times, and they always won. If we were just a little older, we could have flattened these creeps."

"Do you think our parents will be mad at us for ditching Aunt Maria and coming back here?"

"Um….yeah. We're in for it. But they have to stop treating us like-"

Christine stopped herself. She now knew exactly why they had been sent away, and how their parents would have every right to be furious with them. But the grown-ups just never told them what was going on, and the young pre-werewolves were worried. Aunt Maria had been tight-lipped about the whole affair, and that's why they decided to come back.

Christine suddenly had an idea.

"I'll tell you a story about how kick-ass our Pack is. Then you'll know that stupid zombies could never hurt us. Wanna hear it?"

Dylan turned to look at her. "Is it for real?"

Christine punched him in the arm. "Of course it is!"

Dylan shrugged. "Yeah, right. Okay, tell me."

"Once upon a time…" she began. "…there was a king named…um…"

A memory of Stiles wearing a Burger King crown at a long ago party came into her mind. "A king named Stiles. And Stiles was very unhappy…"

"Why was he unhappy?" interrupted Dylan.

Christine pinched him. "Quiet! Now I have to start again!"

{}{}{}{}

Once upon a time, in a kingdom (called Stiles' Isles) at the edge of a great forest, there lived a king named Stiles who was very unhappy. He was unhappy because although his kingdom was rich and he was loved by all the people, he was very lonely. Sometimes the beautiful Princess Christine and the stupid Prince Dylan from the Silver Lands would visit him to play games and try to make him happy, but he was still lonely sometimes.

Now, the dark forest that bordered the kingdom was home to a ferocious pack of werewolves, led by an Alpha that was feared throughout all the known lands. The people of Stiles' Isles wanted to hunt in the forest, but the werewolves always chased them out. The werewolves wanted to shop in the marketplaces of Stiles' Isles, but since the people were so afraid of them, they always called out the guards. The werewolves could totally have eaten the guards, but the Alpha wouldn't let them. He didn't want to start a war, and there were so many more humans than werewolves.

One day, the Alpha went to visit King Stiles to see if they couldn't work out a truce. King Stiles had the Alpha escorted to his throne room surrounded by guards. He was afraid of them since this one mysterious werewolf always made him jump and scream when he was a teenager by sneaking into his window at night. One day the unknown werewolf had disappeared, and King Stiles was relieved, but also a little sad.

When King Stiles saw the Alpha, he shouted: "It's you! You were the one that was always sneaking into my window!"

The Alpha, who's name was Derek, nodded his head and said "Yeah, that was me."

"Why did you sneak into my window? I should have you arrested! You always made me jump and scream!" the king shouted.

Derek growled low at the king. "I climbed into your window to tell you that I ate some spies that were trying to trap you. When you jumped and screamed, I ran away because I didn't want you to be scared of me."

King Stiles hung his head in shame.

"Thank you for eating those spies. Is there anything I could do in return? Would you like some pillows stuffed with phoenix feathers and a bag of gold?"

Derek shook his head. "My people want to shop in your marketplaces, but the townsfolk always call the guards. I want you to tell them its okay for us to shop there."

King Stiles said "Okay, but you have to let my people hunt in your woods."

Derek said "Okay. I should be going now."

As Derek turned to leave, King Stiles felt something in his heart turn over.

"Hey, Derek! Um, do you want to stay and play some games with me?"

Derek smiled. "Sure, that would be neat."

And so King Stiles and Derek had so much fun…um.. playing games… that Derek decided to move into his castle, and all the werewolves were allowed to shop in the marketplaces. They got married a few years later, and all the kingdom celebrated. Then zombies tried to invade, but the Alpha bit all of the people of Stiles' Isles and made them into werewolves and they ate up all the zombies. And Princess Christine was still the prettiest, smartest, and toughest girl around. The End.

{}{}{}{}

Dylan gave Christine the fisheye. "I don't believe that for a minute." He said decisively.

"Why not?" asked Christine, outraged.

"Derek NEVER smiles! Or says 'neat'!"

"Oops, you're right." Christine started giggling, which sent Dylan off, and she was glad to see the color coming back into his face.

"I wish we could change like the grownups." Dylan said quietly.

"Me too. Hey, maybe we _could_…do you want to try?"

Dylan looked at her. "We're too young!"

"Who says? Erik and Laurie are the only born werewolves besides us, and they didn't even know the secret. Derek knew, but he never told us what age he started to change. I bet he changed when he was a baby! Plus, maybe the rules are different when its an emergency."

"Okay. Let's try."

The two sat across from each other and closed their eyes, willing their inner wolves to come out.

Nothing happened.

"Try to make yourself angry, Dylan. Imagine one of those zombies trying to eat me!" Christine urged.

She thought it might have been her imagination, but Dylan's eyes seemed to change color for a split second. His scent in her nose sharpened, then faded away quickly.

Following her own advice, she furiously imagined the undead creatures out there closing in on Dylan and reaching for him with decaying maggoty hands. She had the queerest sensation of something turning over deep inside her. But it was so deep and far away feeling…she thought it might be hopeless. Now she was sorry she brought it up, because Dylan was trying to growl and gnash his teeth, but he only looked like he was having a seizure.

Something tickled at the back of her mind, the way Aunt Lydia always said happened when she was on the point of figuring something out. There was something missing, some obvious fact about werewolves that related to their problem.

_'Wolves are stronger when…'_

Yeah, that was it. Derek had been talking about something within their earshot, and the end of the sentence had trailed off as he realized the kids were listening. But she _had_ heard it; only it was a long time ago.

_'Wolves are stronger when…they hunt…'_

The sound of glass breaking at the front of the shop yanked her attention back to reality. A zombie dressed in a ragged suit had broken through the wooden shutter and the glass of the window, reaching in a decaying arm to grope blindly for them.

The two children ran through the store to the back, leaping backward at the last second as something heavy slammed into the door from the outside. Dylan peered through a crack in the door.

"Is it a zombie?" she asked, her voice trembling only a little.

"No. It's some kind of snake guy."

{}{}{}{}

Thorbardin commanded the undead to flank the front of the store while he slowly broke through the rear entrance. After finding Gallows and his new consort, the general had ordered him to locate and destroy either Erik Hale or Robin Stark…or failing that to try and take down Derek Hale himself. The death of any of the three would spell the end of the werewolves and all their plans. But just as he was on his way towards the Hale mansion, the hissing voice from the sea stopped him…and the kanima changed course.

_"An opportunity hasssss arisssen! Go to the center of the town and desssstroy the children you find there! The Avatarsssss will come forth at thissss insssssult, and Gallowsssssss will perissssh under the teeth and clawssss of My brother! Sssssso will I be revenged!"_

Thorbardin was in no position to argue with his true master. He slammed his fist into the door and began to pull it apart.

{}{}{}{}

"Oooooh, where the heck did that thing come from?" Christine shrieked as Thorbardin's reptilian eye peered in at her. Another blow, and the reinforced door gave way. In another minute, the monster would be ravening among them.

The two children clasped their small hands together (hardly conscious of it in their terror) and backed slowly away from the door. Another crash behind them informed the children that the zombie in the suit had broken in as well.

"I love you, Dyl-weed." whispered Christine, her wide eyes staring at the snake thing as it tore through the opening.

"I love you too, Chris-mean."

As the noise of their own frantically beating hearts filled their ears, blotting out the roaring of the monster in front of them, a sudden sense of peaceful calm filled the mind of Christine McCall.

_"Wolves are stronger when they hunt in a Pack." _spoke Derek's voice clearly, from long ago and far away.

"Dyl, would you like to be in a Pack with me?"

Taloned hands reached for them.

Neither child noticed that their own clasped hands were bleeding as new-grown claws sank into each other's palms, their blood mixing together.

"Forever and always, Chris." The children felt something awaken within them. The wolves that had lain dormant within them since the day they were born roused themselves, and Dylan's eyes flared from sky blue to piercing sapphire even as Christine's brown gaze smoldered with amber fire. And the wolves brought with them the ancient rage of their kind, an inferno stoked to volcanic fury for millennia, passed on from Fenrir to all his offspring and their offspring.

The monster gave a surprised hiss as his cornered prey suddenly turned on him.

{}{}{}{}

The three Alphas were the first to notice what was happening in the sky. As one they had gone outside when the eclipse began, staring up as sun and moon completed the steps of their ancient dance.* These times always brought with them great changes, and the Alphas felt power fill them such as they never felt before. They knew instinctively that the Avatars within them would emerge at their command; in fact they _must_ command it…such sacrifices must always be done willingly. The temptation to give in and lose themselves in animal fury and be free forever from pain and worry and doubt...well, it was stronger than they had believed possible.

Derek looked at Stiles, saw the pain and misery on his face. Stiles would never admit it under torture, but Derek knew Stiles felt that the battle was already over…that Derek would give in to his anger and be lost to his family forever.

"I won't do it, Sty. I pro-" Derek began.

"Don't. Don't promise that. If there's one thing I believe the gods of this world love to do, it's make people break their promises. Derek…if we get hurt…if we get killed…if there's no more reason to hold back…then do it. Let's take them with us."

"No one's getting killed, Stiles…except them." The words 'I promise' hovered on Derek's lips a second time, but he held them back. Stiles was probably right.

The eclipse reached totality, and they saw the violet dome expand outward from the distant lighthouse to encompass the town.

"What…the holy hell…was _that?_" breathed Lydia.

"That's to make sure no one gets out before Ragnarok is over. Gallows probably worked that somehow. His funeral." Erik grabbed Robin's hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

A strong wind blew from the direction of the town. Their superhuman senses registered the distant sounds of screams and screeching metal, the scent of fire…and decay.

"Not to be Captain Obvious, but I think something is happening in town." Robin sniffed, wrinkling his nose. "Why does it smell like fire and open graves?"

"We should check it out. Dad?" Erik turned towards his father.

"No!" shouted Stiles.

The Pack all turned and stared at him.

"Sorry, just had to get that out of my system." he said sheepishly. Derek stepped over and gave him a tight hug.

Jackson looked around at them all. "I know you don't want to hear this, but we should spread out and cover the town. If people are in danger, it will take too long to get to them."

Danny shook his head. "We'll be spread too thin, and be vulnerable to attack. We should stick together. Alphas? What do you say?"

Erik gave him a twisted smile. "Who says there aren't enough of us?"

Then he threw back his head, and howled loud enough to wake the dead…or it would have been if any dead had still been at rest.

The assembled werewolves watched as the Great Pack burst howling from the forest behind the house. Even Stiles forgot his fear and worry and just stared in breathless awe as over a thousand wolves raced past them. As one, the entire Pack shifted and blended in with them, racing away from the house to the center of town.

{}{}{}{}

Throbardin savagely fought the two young wolves, his kanima reflexes barely enough to keep his throat from being torn out. Wolves this young were unheard of. These two, though not very strong, seemed to move faster than light. Every time he responded to a new fresh wound, the cubs were gone and attacking another spot. The kanima healed quickly, but was unable to focus its attacks through the near constant pain. Thorbardin roared, calling on the undead to destroy the cubs. The zombies crowded into the store moaning and growling at the two cubs.

Christine was suddenly pulled away from Thorbardin by cold decaying hands. She was thrown across the room, smacking into the far wall and falling behind the checkout counter. She stood up and winced in pain, howling instinctively in fear for her companion who was now at the mercy of the snake monster and a zombie army.

Suddenly, Christine felt her strength drain away. The claws disappeared, and the fangs in her mouth retreated with an indignant click. Together, they were able to summon enough strength to bring on an early shift…but once separated they were just children again…human and helpless. Christine stared in horror as Dylan lost his own wolf, the kanima suddenly snatching him by the neck and squeezing as the boy's legs dangled in the air. There was a resounding crack, and the kanima dropped the boy to the floor. He lay dreadfully still.

Christine watched as the kanima leapt towards her, hissing through a mouth filled with rows of needle-like teeth.

She thought of her mother and father, and wished that she could see them just once more before she died.

{}{}{}{}

The town square of Beacon Hills was awash with blood. The Pack stood there, unable to believe their senses at what seemed to be a reenactment of 'Night of the Living Dead'. Most of the zombies were decayed and rotted, but more than a few smelled fresh, as if they had joined the ranks if the undead almost immediately after being killed. This was an army that could swell it's own ranks with each new victim. Derek gave the signal to attack to the adults even as Erik called to his wolves. The wolves fell among the zombies, working together to pull them to pieces and reduce their numbers.

Even with the Great Pack, the work seemed to go slow…but eventually they fell. The werewolves gathered together even as Erik sent the Great Pack through the streets to destroy any stragglers. They were quite a sight, the twenty shifted werewolves…eyes glowing with claws and fangs fully extended, and the blood and viscera of hundreds of zombies covering every inch of their bodies. The howling from a nearby hardware store snapped their attention even as they caught through the rotting stench two impossible scents…that of the two cubs they had sent away. Scott and Jackson roared, and together they ripped their way through the zombies that stood between them and their children. The rest of the Pack waited outside, Lydia and Allison gripping each other's hands tightly in nameless dread.

When Jackson's anguished howl came from deep within, Lydia fainted dead away. Her body crumpled to the floor as a grim-faced Scott emerged, one hand on Christine's shoulder and the other holding the head of some kind of snake monster. Allison ran to her husband's side and looked down at her daughter who was crying for the first time since infancy.

The Alphas and Stiles made their way into the store and found Jackson leaning over the broken body of his son, rage and grief twisting his handsome features.

The Alphas were silent, and to their surprise heard the very faintest of heartbeats in the young boy's body. His head lay at an unnatural angle, and he was fading fast…but he lived.

"We need to get him outside…I can call the wolves…together we can heal him!" Erik muttered.

"It's impossible…I don't know how he survived this long, but if we move him he'll die." Derek looked grim as he spoke the words, knowing what this might possibly mean to the McCalls as well as the Whittemores.

"We can't do it from in here…there isn't room in here for enough of us to make this work." Robin gripped Erik's hand…seeing the battered boy lying there was like watching himself in the early days of his captivity with Stucky.

Jackson looked up at Derek, his eyes glowing sapphire blue in his streaked face.

"Break the damn walls down, Derek. If the damned Great Pack can heal him, then you pull this building apart and let them in."

"Even if we could, Jackson…it couldn't be done fast enough. There's no way." But even as he said it…he knew there was.

They all knew it.

Derek looked at Stiles. Together for two decades, they could read each other's expression like well-loved books. A single questioning glance at Stiles was all Derek needed to give. Stiles looked at his husband…at his son and son-in-law…and at the fallen boy and his grief stricken father. He thought of Scott and Allison outside, with their daughter who would follow Dylan into death. He thought of Laurie, who already hated the wolf…and how much more she would she would hate it when it claimed almost her whole family in one stroke…just as it had claimed Derek's family so long ago.

All of this went through his mind in a moment. Stiles would have liked time enough for the family and the Pack to make this decision together…but Derek had left it all up to him. He wanted to cry, but he had the strangest sense that he was no longer able to. He had cried the last of his tears out in the other world, atop the prison of the Great Alpha…a monster who burned to revenge this and so many other wrongs and betrayals. Stiles suddenly realized that he had known even then that this moment would come. He wept because he had known it would be up to him…as these things always seemed to be up to him…and he had known what decision he would make. When he had eaten Carl Stucky that night in Red Falls when they rescued Robin, Stiles knew that there was no price he would not pay to protect and revenge his family and his Pack. When it came to those he loved…he was more ruthless than Derek on his worst day…and Derek had always known it. Perhaps that was why they were destined to be mates.

"Do it Derek. Save Dylan…kill Gallows…and let the damned Wolf free. This has gone on for too long...end it now."

Derek nodded. "I love you, Stiles." he whispered.

Stiles turned on his heel and left the store.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles emerged from the store and walked over to his daughter. He spoke a few words to her, and she screamed. It was an entirely human scream.

{}{}{}{}

Derek, Erik and Robin pulled off their shirts and let the garments drop to the floor. Derek pulled Jackson to his feet. "Outside. I'll bring your son out to you." Jackson left, sparing his son one final glance. He couldn't look at the Alphas. Even now, having made their decision, they were more than Alphas and the wolf inside him could not bring itself to meet their gaze. Their eyes glowed unholy crimson as the energies gathered inside them. This would be the first time Erik and Robin would be conscious through the change, and (despite the sacrifice this entailed) small parts of them were eager to go through with it. Erik moved behind Dylan's broken body and turned his back to the group. Robin stood on the other side, so that sun and moon faced each other. The tattoos seemed to catch fire, and crimson flame connected the two in a stream of crackling energy. The triskelion burned on Derek's own back as he moved to complete the triangle around Dylan's body. Together, they represented both lock and key to Fenrir's cage as well as that of the Avatars within them. The conjoined flames shot into his back and then burned out as the three began to irrevocably transform. Derek had just enough presence of mind to turn his body and kneel over Dylan protectively. The Alpha shift came over him and the boys, his body becoming an enormous wolf…a wolf that began to swell to nightmarish proportions.

Through the haze of encroaching death, Dylan stared up the gargantuan avatars that ripped the building apart, protected from falling debris by Derek's enormous body.

He smiled, though he could not feel it.

"Magic wand, make my monster grow!" he thought dreamily as blackness took him.

{}{}{}{}

The Pack watched as the brick building _exploded_ outward, revealing three shapes that seemed to once more blot out the newly revealed sun. The hardware store, and its neighbors on either side were dust. Stiles had already explained to the others what was happening, and one and all they stood in silent awe as the great beasts moved apart. The wolves that made up the great Pack appeared, responding to the Avatar's silent call. They pressed close around Dylan, who was now hidden from their sight. A recovered Lydia stood and took Jackson's hand as they pressed forward to discover what had become of their son. The wolves made a path for them, and there in the center of a circle that was clear of debris, Dylan Whittemore was sitting up and clapping delightedly at the chaos all around him.

{}{}{}{}

Somewhere in the deep water of Razor Gorge, an enormous serpent laughed with in its own mind. Though annoyed at the loss of its offspring, it exulted in the success of its plan. Fenrir would be free, and Gallows would meet his long deserved end. The serpent would also be released. Fenrir would either set him loose for causing the events that released him, or kill him for mortally wounding the cub. The serpent decided he did not care which. He had lived for mind-snapping gulphs of time, and was ready for whichever side of the spinning coin turned up.

{}{}{}{}

Gallows was lost in Kate's embrace when they realized what was happening.

"No…this is impossible!"

Kate looked at him sympathetically. "Sweetie, you are in deep shit!"

{}{}{}{}

Somewhere in a world just next door to ours, beneath an island at the center of a lake, an enormous beast (to whom the Avatars would be as mere cubs) bound in an enchanted golden cord suddenly felt its ancient bond break. The severed rope turned black, and then to ash. It had only ever been made to bind traitors…but the loyalty its children had demonstrated for hundreds of years, culminating in this enormous generations-long act of sacrifice was finally enough to undo the binding enchantment.

The beast lay still for a single moment, savoring the first instant of freedom it had known in millennia.

Then the entire island exploded outward. The promise of Ragnarok had come to pass.

_*P.S. Never look directly at a solar eclipse as it can severely damage your eyes. The gang got away with it since they are werewolves and their eyes can heal the damage._


	21. Chapter 21

Gallows watched the threads of his hopes and dreams unravel as the sun disappeared below the horizon. The Avatars were visible even from here, as were the swarm of wolves that made up the Great Pack. There were explosions and crashes from the town proper as buildings fell one after the other. Thorbardin and his zombie army had failed. Gallows had failed.

Fenrir had won.

All that was needed was for the Avatars to breach the dimension between this world and that of the prison-plane to let him through…a simple enough task with the point-source semi-divine Power the three possessed. Their very presence at the fragile nexus between this world and the next would rip it wide. They would free the wolf, who would scent Gallows in a moment. Fenrir would waste no time in devouring him, and Gallows' immortal life would at long last come to an end. None of his old power had been his to command for an age of ages.

Unless…, but no. He shook his head in denial.

"Kate, you have to undo the barrier."

Kate shook her head at him. "Sorry, sweetie. That thing stays up until the lunar eclipse in six days. Think you can avoid Clifford the pissed off Wolf-God for that long?"

The answer to that, of course, was no.

Gallows placed his head in his hands…he had not gotten to live this long without learning to keep an ace or two up his sleeve…but he had hoped that this particular trump card would never be necessary.

He fingered the golden ring that adorned his left ring finger. It was an ancient looking band engraved with almost invisible runes. It was less than worthless to him for millennia…until now. He took it off and held it up, looking at Kate through it like a telescope. Undetectable to her, it grew warm and vibrated in his hand.

"More magic?" Kate asked. "You're a regular bag of tricks. Hel's memory tells me that this must be Draupnir, a ring that creates eight copies of itself every night. Not quite sure how that's going to help you with Fenrir though."

Gallows shook his head, smiling wistfully. "No, I traded every treasure I owned to a Svartalheim dwarf, one Alberich, in exchange for the rope Gleipnir to bind the Wolf. Alberich was blind, but he could sense the power in the treasures I traded. Alberich came to me with a magic ring in his pocket… and left with a magic ring in his pocket…just not the same one. I switched Draupnir with the one thing in all the Nine Worlds Alberich would never part with."

Kate's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"Yes. The Rheingold. Lost treasure of the Rhine maidens…a Ring that would let its wearer attain the power of a god, if only he first renounces love forever. Useless to me at first, since one must _have_ love before one can renounce it. But I held on to it…what can I say, I was always an optimist."

"Creighton! Don't!" Kate backed slowly away.

"Kate…I'm sorry. You are the only woman I have ever loved. But to see the Wolf dead…there is _no_ price I would not pay." Gallows once more donned the ring.

Gallows lunged forward and grabbed Kate's wrist. "Kate…my Valkyrie…I renounce you forever and consign you to oblivion. Thank you for giving me back my Godhead. Believe me when I say that Eternity will be very lonely…without you."

Kate's mouth opened wide and she screamed, since now it was her flesh that was decaying at _his_ touch. The essence of Kate that lived within the Goddess Hel was purged from her and expunged from existence altogether. Hel's body completely decayed to her natural form as the living embodiment of Death, and in her rage she would have destroyed Gallows in a moment…had she not sensed that he was now a waxing Power in the world once more…the All-Father stripped of his mortality burned before her, and she fled from the sight of it, traveling to Helheim…the realm of the dead where she was absolute Queen.

She wondered if her brothers would soon be joining her there.

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Clouds began to gather over the town square. They crawled in from all directions to converge in the exact center of the dome. Once the sky was a uniform slate grey, a slender tendril of fog extended downward to touch the ground. The column of smoke grew thicker and began to spin, whirling around faster and faster and turning from grey to black.

The surviving human residents of Beacon Hills cowered in the Town Hall, a building built like a fortress, making it the safest and most fortified structure in the area and the obvious destination for the fleeing refugees who could neither escape the city limits nor otherwise conceal themselves from the ravening undead. As the occupants soon learned, none of the undead were able to enter the building whether by door or window, having no idea that the wooden frames surrounding each opening were carved from Mountain Ash. As a historic landmark building, it was decorated with many odd motifs and symbols that the founders of Beacon Hills felt were important…as if they were trying to warn their descendants of the coming time when all things supernatural would cease hiding in the shadows and walk boldly in the light of day. When the zombies gathered outside moaning and scratching to get in, the people noticed the skull designs that decorated the upper corners of every doorframe. When the wolves of the Great Pack destroyed those very same zombies, their howls of fury splitting the air, the people spotted the Wolf statue in the long-dried up fountain in the central Plaza frozen in the act of howling. The statue of Justice in the front hall was carved so that half the face seemed rotted and decayed, and around its circular border painted into the floor was a serpent devouring its own tail. Most ominous of all were the two statues of enormous ravens that guarded the entranceway of the Town Hall.

Shawn Murphy cowered in the building with his parents. He kept peeking out through the front window watching the column of smoke. With a crash, a great stone fell from the sky landing just outside the column of smoke. A few minutes later, another stone fell right next to the first and so close together that no gap was visible. Within an hour, there was a solid ring of the heavy stones. It was when the second layer was built that Shawn realized what was happening…the fog was summoning the stones from somewhere and a Tower was being built.

Or _re-_built.

The center of the misty column glowed white with a pearlescent light as a wooden door completely encased within a stone frame slammed down onto the growing structure. The stones layered themselves around it, now coming more and more quickly as it rose ever higher. With a roar from deep underground, the street cracked around the Tower and six bone-white spires sprang upward enclosing it in a sort of cage. Lightning crackled between them and then shot outward to strike the raven statues. With an explosion of power, the stone shells cracked and released two living monstrous black birds. Hugin and Munin they were once called, and they were two of the most powerful servants of the All-Father. With raucous screeches loud enough to deafen the people inside and wrench screams of terror from their souls, the mighty birds took to the heavens to return to their lord of old.

{}{}{}{}

The Avatars raced through the town, headed straight for the preserve. They heard the voice of one who dwarfed even their combined power just as the Avatars dwarfed the power of the Great Pack. They sensed their great enemy growing strong behind them, and it burned them to know they were running _from _him when they longed to rend him limb from limb and devour him with a thousand hungry mouths. But the call of their sire was too powerful to ignore…He had waited an eternity and would wait no more.

As the wolves reached the center of the forest where the stump of Yggdrasil was stuck fast in the earth, the ancient wood began to glow with a bright white light. Splintering cracks spread throughout wood before it detonated…though the noise sounded like it was coming from someplace infinitely far away, yet now suddenly near.

Where the stump lay, there was now an opening in space, an opening that led to another world once accessible only by the Trifold path. No path was needed now. From the other side of the hole a great Eye glared balefully forth.

The Avatars took the ragged edges of reality itself in their great jaws and pulled, tearing the hole open even further. They pulled and tore and ripped wide open what was sealed and forbidden since time out of mind. Water from the great lake on the other side poured through the gap in reality. It flowed through the woods and snaked through the trees along a dried riverbed path so old that no one living recognized it for what it was. The last time this river had flowed through the woods was when the old tree had first been cut down by the founders of Beacon Hills…the tree whose wood went into the construction of the oldest buildings. It had dried up soon after, but during its first short life it had sent the spirit of Fenrir into all those who drank from it. Now it would flow for the last time, until the lake itself was empty and dry. None of the wolves gave it a passing glance. Not the Avatars, not the Great Pack, not even Fenrir himself…but this river was to prove extremely important; not because of its mystical source, but its destination. It led out of the forest and all the way to…

But that story will come out in its own time.

The opening of the way was finally complete. Fenrir, child of Loki and Angrboða set His great paw into the earth of Midgard. The earth shuddered under its dreadful weight. He was a magnificent creature, though he still bore the cruel marks of a rope that once circled around and around his flesh. The fur was sleek and black, the ivory fangs white and gleaming. Its growl was like that of a hundred chainsaws buried beneath the earth. It was the ultimate monster, the ultimate predator…but as it looked at the others, it bore an expression strangely human.

Three more steps and he was finally free. The Great Wolf was overcome by a sense of elation so profound that for a single moment all thoughts of vengeance were absent…but in the next moment the rage returned.

It howled its fury at the sky, joined by all the others in a song of vengeance. The Great Pack approached and knelt before the Wolf before walking forward and vanishing as they stepped between the great paws. When the last had gone, the largest Avatar came next. Its crimson gaze met the ever-changing eyes of Fenrir, and an understanding passed between them. The rage of an Alpha protecting his Pack was something they shared and understood even when members of the Pack did not. The Avatar once known as Derek Hale began to bow his head to Fenrir, but stopped after Wolf gave a short and menacing growl.

'_No, not you. Though you knew it not, you housed a portion of My soul within your own, even as the young ones are My reborn sons Hati and Sköll. You sacrificed everything for the Pack and My own freedom. You have the right to look at Me, as do our sons._

Fenrir turned his great head and gazed into the distance with eyes that shifted from golden to sapphire to crimson in a never-ending cycle.

'_I had thought this battle would be the work of a moment after so many thousands of years…but the treachery of My great enemy knows no bounds. He stole the Rheingold long ago and destroyed his Mate to unseal it's dread power. He is now a much more formidable enemy, like unto his old strength. Join with Me now and add your might to My own…lend me back the piece of My soul that lives within you and bid your sons to do so as well. This is a further sacrifice on your part…for if I am defeated we will be destroyed as one…but that fate will await you all in any case if I fail alone. I leave the choice up to you…I will not command you. What say you and your sons?'_

The smaller Avatars listened to this exchange, and the three regarded each other for a moment before making a unanimous decision. Derek nodded at Erik and Robin with understanding before turning back to Fenrir.

'_He must die for the safety of those we love and those we may grow to love in time. He has lived long enough, and he must be punished. No sacrifice is too great.'_

The Avatars stepped forward and vanished into the Great Wolf. The marks of the binding faded away. With steps that cracked the earth, Fenrir began the final Hunt.

{}{}{}{}

The Pack were busy rounding up the remaining living citizens of Beacon Hills. Mr. Halvorsen who once ran the local delicatessen told them (after being reassured that the werewolves of Beacon Hills were here to protect the people, not eat them) that there was a sanctuary the monsters couldn't enter: the Town Hall. He'd heard over the emergency broadcast frequency that most of the populace had fled there. Chris Argent confirmed that he knew Mountain Ash had been used in the construction of the building, and only Stiles asked why he would happen to know that.

"I can't tell you. Trust me, the reason is better left unspoken." Chris said tightly. Vivian nodded her agreement.

Stiles listened to their steady heartbeats and shrugged. "Okay then."

Once they arrived at the building and the humans had raced inside, Shawn Murphy spotted Moose through the window and waved them over. He seemed unwilling to step outside.

"Moose! Where have you been? Do you know what's going on?"

"There's a lot of dead guys roaming around, but we think we killed most of them. They like the taste of second-rate baseball player, so stay inside." Moose told him.

"But how are you…" he looked around at the Pack, about half of whom were still shifted.

Moose was too highly strung to give him the long version. He jerked his thumb at his own chest and pointed to the others. "Werewolves…and we're the good guys. Got it?"

Shawn could only nod dumbly.

Stiles stepped forward. "What's going on in there? We can't go in to check things out, don't ask why. Is there food? Water? Anyone need medical attention?"

Shawn shook his head. "If anyone got bitten, they turned into zombies. Most everybody in there is okay, but there are a few badly hurt. There's no food, but the old water fountain just started working again…my Dad says it hadn't worked even when he was a kid, but we're really glad it does now."

Shawn looked over at the stone Tower that stretched up into the heavens.

"What the _hell_ is going on there?"

Stiles looked at the Tower with curiosity…he had seen an illustration of it in Eowin's book, but had only glanced at that page for a moment in his search for answers about Erik's tattoo. There had been a word underneath the picture…what on earth was it?

Then it came to him. "Valgrind…anyone here know what that means?"

Mr. Halvorsen was watching them from the door, and on hearing the word bounded once more down the steps.

"_That_ is Valgrind? But…"

Stiles stared at him. "What do you know about it? What is it?"

Mr. Halvorsen had turned paper white. "It is from the old Norse religion…my father told me the tales. Valgrind is the doorway to Valhalla. It was lost and destroyed many years ago."

Stiles wrinkled his forehead. "Why am I thinking of that weird 'Thor' movie? Isn't that supposed to be Norse Heaven or something?"

Mr. Halvorsen gave a hollow laugh. "No, not Heaven. Valhalla is the Hall of the Slain…all the dead that served the All-Father dwell within."

Shawn watched every werewolf present turn paper white.

"Gallows. He's gotten his power back somehow and is rebuilding the gateway to bring his army back here. Between their numbers and the strength he would gain from their devotion, he would be unstoppable…possibly a match even for Fenrir." Stiles began to get very very worried.

"_Fenrir?"_ shrieked Halvorsen. "The Wolf is coming? Then this is Ragnarok?"

"Yeah…and it turns out that may be a world-ending kind of thing after all. How the _hell_ are we supposed to help fight a god?"

Vivian cleared her throat. "Well, there might be a way…if it comes down to it."

"No! Vivian, we swore an oath! Only the clan leaders know what's kept here…and it's far too dangerous!" Chris actually wolfed out on his own wife, snapping his jaws at her as he struggled to control his anger.

Vivian turned to regard him. "_I'm_ the leader of our clan, Chris. It's my decision! If there were ever a time to use it, then this is it!"

"What are you two on about? Is there some kind of weapon we can use against a god? Is it here in Beacon Hills?" Allison demanded. "Dad, I am not going to lose my daughter over some Hunter oath that doesn't mean anything anymore! There _are_ no Hunters left! If you know something that could help win this fight, then _you tell us!_"

Chris snarled and stormed off, walking in the direction of forming Tower. Electricity played along the spires until a stray lance of lightning casually struck him, sending him flying backward. Vivian and Allison ran over to help him to his feet. The burns on his flesh slowly healed, smoke rising from his body while they did. Stiles gripped his face, not even wincing at the heat that baked off the ex-Hunter's skin.

"This isn't some rogue Alpha or even Douche-calion's Alpha Pack from all those years ago," Stiles growled at him. "Chris, Laurie and I will lose everything! If that happens, and _you_ could have stopped it…" If Chris' skin had been reddened by the electricity, it would probably have paled. Stiles' reputation as the strongest Beta in the Pack was well-established. He would likely make Alpha if Derek and the boys were destroyed…for however long it took Gallows to find and kill them.

"Please, Chris! Allison's right, we need an edge here!" Scott implored.

The Martins and the Whittemores agreed…and even Dylan and Christine were jumping up and down screaming "C'mon, help us Grampa!"

Chris sighed. "You don't even know what you're asking…we may wind up trading Ragnarok for Armageddon…" He nodded at Vivian. "You tell them. It's your place anyway."

Vivian took a deep breath. "Laurie, Moose…do you remember when I told you in the library about how Tristan Argent created the Hunter Code?"

"Yeah, you said no one knew the details. Was that a lie? I didn't catch it." Laurie told her.

"It was true, the details _are_ unknown…but what is known is the result. A rogue Hunter, who I now believe may have been Gallows in one of his many disguises throughout his long immortal life, sought out a malignant treasure he claimed would help destroy the werewolves of the world forever…and Fenrir itself. This treasure was lost for close to 1,500 years, and the last time someone used it…the repercussions rocked the known world even to this day. Tristan recovered this treasure from Gallows with the help of the werewolf Theiss, and changed his name to Argent…not because silver is deadly to werewolves, but because silver was what the treasure was made of. Coins, specifically. Thirty of them. And it was now the Argent family's responsibility to keep them locked away."

Ted was the only Theology major in college, but nearly all of the Pack caught on to what she was saying.

"No way," he said softly. "_The _thirty silver coins? The ones paid to _Judas Iscariot?_"

Chris nodded grimly. "Yes. And they did this work before. The coins rob beings of their power, even gods. They were used even before they did what they are most famous for, which is why there are no gods left from any pantheon or religion that walk the earth still. The coins themselves don't belong to any belief system…they're just a physical manifestation of evil. No one knows where they came from or why they were created, but we know what they do. They allow man to betray the gods and cast them down...and with proper ceremonies take their place. The only mercy is that to activate them, you have to have _all thirty_…and Gallows did it. He gathered them and planned to use them on Fenrir, possibly regaining his old strength. He was stopped here in Beacon Hills where he returned years later as a Hunter; now infiltrating the very society that ended his plans before. He would be in a position to exterminate werewolves and weaken his great enemy, and to be on hand to find the coins. They were hidden here…in the Town Hall."

"So, let's go get them!" Jackson demanded with a look at his son. The sight of Dylan lying there practically lifeless just hours before had still not left his mind.

Lydia shook her head. "We can't, darling. I found that out when I had to come down here for traffic court. The building is sealed with Mountain Ash. Werewolves can't enter."

"What about vents and crawlspaces?" asked Ted.

"The crawlspaces are too small; I found out when I had to rescue someone's cat. I doubt even Dylan or Christine would fit…not that we would send them!" The Sheriff added hastily when the parents in question all growled at him.

Melissa glanced over at Shawn. "What about you, young man?" Shawn backed up a few steps. "Me? But I'm just a kid!"

"What about Mr. Halvorsen?" asked Danny.

The Argents shook their heads. "Shawn would be a better choice…the coins are a corrupting influence. They are _made_ of treachery and evil. A kid has a better shot at resisting their influence…they tend to be more innocent." Vivian said softly.

Shawn gave a bitter laugh. "Then you may as well count me out. I helped Jimmy Porlock and Anson Cooper torture Erik for years even though he never did anything to me. I'm not innocent."

"Do you regret what you did? Do you feel badly about it?" asked Ted. "Believe me, I know what it's like to wish you could take back a mistake."

"I knew I should have stopped…and gotten Jimmy to stop too. I was too afraid…too damned weak." Shawn's face burned bright red as he said this.

"It's not important that you win the battle against evil, Shawn…just that you tried to fight it. I think you're a good choice too." Ted wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but couldn't since he still stood on the other side of the doorway.

Shawn thought for a minute. Then: "I'll do it. Tell me what I need to do."

The Pack gave a sigh of relief.

"You have to go alone. We can't risk anyone else going with you…the coins might corrupt them." Chris told him. Shawn gulped.

"Go into the judge's chambers; there's a trap door under the rug. Take the ladder down all the way to the bottom. The coins are at the end of a long winding passageway where it will be impossible to light your way…a little trick of Tristan Argent who was a minor practitioner of magic. You'll have to feel your way along…and it will be very easy to trip or hit your head or even seriously injure yourself. Then there's the other problem…" Vivian fixed her blue eyes on Shawn, who began to tremble. "The darkness can sense your thoughts. You have to keep your mind clear all the way there and back. If you begin to fear, it will throw those fears at you in an attempt to keep you away from the coins. It cannot physically hurt you…but it can make you hurt yourself. If you keep your mind clear then it cannot do anything to you, otherwise you will have to face the things you fear most. Do you think you can do this?"

"No. I think you guys are screwed if you send me, but I'll try."

The last block fell into place in the Tower of Valgrind. The swirling mist disappeared. Vivian glanced at it, then snapped her blue eyes back at Shawn. "Go! NOW!"

Shawn vanished into the building.

The door at the base of the Tower opened.

{}{}{}{}

Shawn raced back into the Town Hall trying to find the court room behind which would lay the judge's chambers. The craziness of the last few hours swirled around in his head: zombies, werewolves, gods, cursed coins…it all seemed too much to handle, so his mind just refused to handle it. Maybe at some point in the future it would all hit him and he would go insane…but he would deal with that when it happened.

"Shawn!" called his mother.

He turned around, trying not to look guilty. "Yeah, Mom?" Part of him hoped she would demand that he not go anywhere, and that she would keep an eagle eye on him so that he could honestly say he had no choice but to give up his new mission.

She tossed him a plastic bottle filled from the flowing Wolf fountain. Everyone seemed to be drinking some. He caught it and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Thanks, Mom!" he called. She waved him off and went back to attending to some of the wounded.

He found the main court room and raced through the small door in the back. He entered the opulent chambers that belonged to the Honorable Judge Wheaton Thorn (who was currently nursing a broken leg that Mrs. Murphy was attempting to reset with some splints). Yanking up the rug, he pried at the boards until he found the false one that concealed the handle. Dust billowed out as the black mouth of the hole was revealed. Iron rungs were set into smooth stone of the cylindrical tunnel, and an ancient light socket was attached by decaying wires to the rim.

The old-fashioned light-bulb was smashed.

Shawn gulped once more and began to climb slowly into the living dark that poured out of the hole.


	22. Chapter 22

Shawn climbed down the ladder in total darkness. The opening far above seemed to dwindle to a mere speck before vanishing altogether. He was reminded forcibly of the story of Aladdin, where the evil magician locks him inside the darkened tomb for refusing to give him the lamp. It horrified him, even though it was supposed to be a child's fantasy story; the boy wandering the dark cavern forever, surrounded only by the dead that he would soon be joining. It combined fear of the dark and of enclosed spaces into a neat terrifying bundle that he never thought he would survive if it ever happened…and here he was. Aladdin was able to use the genie to get out of the cave. Shawn had no such escape plan.

He felt the bottle of water in his pocket and thought about drinking it, but decided to save it for later. He had no idea how long he would be down here, though he knew he had to hurry. The bottle comforted him somehow, perhaps because his mother had given it to him.

When he finally reached the bottom, the light from above was gone. Shawn cursed himself for not counting the rungs. He had an image of the ladder stretching way up to infinity when he tried to leave, unable to reach the top before he simply fell from it in exhaustion. He would lie at the base, broken and bleeding, rats leaping out of the shadows to feast…

'_Don't think of things like that, dope!' _

Shawn put tentative hands out in front of him. The damp stone wall seemed to be circular; perhaps this was once the bottom of a well. Wasn't there a horror movie about an evil little girl who died at the bottom of a well?

'_I SAID DON'T THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT!'_

There was a break, what felt like a crevice that led even further down into the earth just across from the ladder. Shawn wanted to shout and listen to the echo, but was afraid of waking whatever might live down here…

'_SHUT! UP!'_

"There is nothing down here. Nothing living anyway." Shawn breathed aloud. Wait a minute, that thought wasn't particularly comforting.

Grinding his teeth, he squeezed through the crevice. The ceiling was low, forcing him to walk hunched over. The walls were close on either side, their chill dampness starling him every time he made contact. His hands were stretched out in front of him. He hoped there weren't some monster in front of him, jaws agape, about to chomp down on his fingers…

Shawn smacked himself, hard.

Ten seconds later, he hit a wall. He felt it, puzzled. There were no openings to either side. Panicked, he backpedaled swiftly praying that the way behind him hadn't sealed itself shut leaving him to die in a capsule of rock under the earth. The way back still stretched out behind him.

After a more thorough exploration, it seemed this was merely a dead end in the cavern. There was nothing down here; no monsters and no coins. He exhaled a great sigh of relief, though he didn't relish bringing the news back up to the wolves. He took out the water bottle and spun the cap off, tossing it into the darkness before taking a long swig of water (which tasted amazing, wiping out his thirst immediately). Listening intently, he heard the cap bouncing along in the darkness ahead of him. Frowning, he finished the bottle before getting on his hands and knees to feel around. A cool draft hit his face. The wall contained a hole that led forward, towards the coins…less than 2 feet in height.

He would have to crawl through a tunnel barely large enough to accommodate him, wiggling his way through with no idea what, if anything, lay ahead. Maybe it wasn't a tunnel, maybe it was just a hole that led into a larger area…

Shawn reached down and felt around, praying that there was no imp or goblin ready to grab his hand and yank him through like that movie _'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark'_. Again he smacked himself. It seemed to be a tunnel, not a hole after all. Damn. What if he got stuck? No one besides the werewolves even knew he was down here, and there was a good chance they would be killed before they told anyone. He would die there, the weight of a mountain surrounding him, alone in the dark.

Shawn began to shake, in the throes of a full-blown panic attack. He struggled to calm himself down. He needed to get the coins. He needed to help Erik's friends.

But he was afraid.

He admitted this to himself, as he always admitted it to himself whenever Jimmy Porlock and Anson Cooper insisted that he partake in their torment of Erik. Jimmy as much told him that if he didn't join in, Shawn might be the next target.

'_Fuck that.' _The thought came so suddenly, and felt so alien that for a second he assumed another person had spoken it aloud.

Something inside him, something that seemed to be made of a very angry sheet of steel was welling up. He had never felt anything like it before. Why had he never punched Jimmy's clock? Why hadn't he told Anson to fuck off and die…before he actually did?

Why was he so goddamned afraid of a stupid hole in the wall?

Shawn dropped to his knees and crawled into the passage. His eyes, still trying to work in the blackness, almost seemed to create the illusion of the tunnel stretching in front of him. The smell suddenly hit him…something damp and rotted…but it didn't deter him at all. His ears picked up every sound; even seeming to give him an idea of how far it stretched by the echoes.

The tunnel became tighter. Shawn wriggled grimly forward at a snail's pace. A protrusion in the ceiling caught on his shirt and stopped his movement. An hour ago, that might have sent him into the final madness. This time, he just snarled and yanked himself ahead. The shirt tore, and he felt the wet warmth of blood as the point scratched the skin of his back. The pain was small; it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but getting the stupid goddamned coins back to his Pack…

_His Pack?_

He didn't know where the thought had come from, but it seemed to be very right. He neared what had to be the end of the tunnel. Perversely, the opening that led to freedom was tighter than ever. Shawn was able to get his head through, but his shoulders were good and stuck. Moving backward seemed impossible.

Shawn's heart began to race. He had to get out of this hole. He wasn't afraid, he was _furious._ Who had built this fucking thing this way? Why couldn't they make normal tunnels like normal people?

His heart beat even faster, and a heat seemed to be building up in him, flowing though his limbs like a lava flow. He began to thrash back and forth, throwing his body weight from side to side. It didn't help. The rock held him fast, like a pacifier in the mouth of a great stone baby. Muscles that Shawn had never had in his life bulged in his arms, squeezing him even tighter into the hole. Shawn started growling and snapping at the air, forcing his arms outward through sheer force of will, lack of leverage notwithstanding.

The rock held.

The rock held.

The rock held.

Shawn clenched teeth that were too big for his mouth and roared; the sheer hatred of being confined feeling like a lifelong and previously futile struggle. With a massive cracking, the rock exploded outward, depositing Shawn into a huge chamber twenty feet below the opening. He instinctually turned his body in the air and landed neatly on his feet. His shirt was in tatters, and he irritably yanked off the remnants. Something hissed in the air, an invisible presence dispersing into a cloud of thin cheated fury.

Shawn looked down at himself and shouted aloud. There were claws on the ends of his fingers. Thin blood from the numerous scratches he sustained in the tunnel was disappearing back into skin that was whole and unmarked. The claws faded before his eyes, and the subtle shift inside his mouth told of frightening changed there as well. He explored his teeth frantically with trembling fingers, but they seemed human…if a little sharp. Was this a trick of the magic the Argents had told him about? Somehow, he didn't think so. It felt too…_natural_…too much a part of himself to be an illusion. Besides, it didn't frighten him as much as he would have thought. He shrugged, resolving to work this out later. He had a task to complete, and too much time was wasted already…and he wasn't exactly out of danger down here.

As his breathing evened out, and he looked around the room with a predator's gaze. There was a small faint glimmer far ahead. He stalked forward, arms and hands stretched out, just waiting for something to spring out at him.

A huge vaulted chamber lay at the end of the passage. By Shawn's calculations, this place should lay right under the Town Square of Beacon Hills. Weird religious scenes were painted on the walls, seeming to move in the flickering greenish light. In the first was a picture that Shawn remembered from the Bible. It was the scene where Jesus throws the moneychangers from the Temple. Shawn had never thought it went down like this…Jesus was _pissed_…he seemed to be sending a tornado through the room, the tables and people being thrown around by a fierce wind. One guy had snuck out amidst the destruction while holding a small chest beneath his arm.

"THE COINS ARE GATHERED." It read underneath.

In the next, it showed the open chest being offered to a man by Temple priests. They hid their faces so as not to look at the coins, but the man they were giving them to had looked…and seemed to be in agony as he tried in vain to turn away. Judas Iscariot, presumably.

"THE BETRAYER IS ENSNARED."

The final scene showed the crucifixion. From a nearby tree hung Judas, a bag of coins open in the dirt at his feet.

"DEATH IS TRIUMPHANT."

Underneath each scene was a stone sarcophagus. Shawn swallowed as he once again picked up a slight movement in the air, a gurgling phlegmy chuckle that gave him the chills.

Shawn growled in his throat, and felt the new presence in his soul turn over, as if waking from a light nap.

Shawn walked over to the first sarcophagus, beneath the scene of the money changers in the Temple. The lid should have been too heavy to lift, but it moved easily. Perhaps he was stronger, now.

Or perhaps something _inside_ the coffin was aiding his efforts.

The lid fell to the floor with a deafening crash. Predictably, there was a body inside the coffin. Unpredictably, it seemed to be his mother lying there. Shawn pulled away from the coffin with a cry. She had been ravaged by an animal; the blood pooled at the bottom of the coffin, fresh and hot and smelling of copper and the beginnings of decay. In her hand, she clutched a pouch of ancient leather. All he had to do was prise it free from her cold dead fingers.

Shawn fell backwards, nauseated. His breath came in short sharp gasps, the blood smell combining with an animal musk he had never smelt before, but instinctively recognized as the odor of wolf.

How was this possible? Who had done this?

His mother sat up sharply in her casket. Her head snapped around to glare at him with eyes glowing a putrescent green while neck vertebrae frozen in rigor mortis snapped with a stomach clenching ratcheting sound.

"_You…killed…me…"_ came her voice. There was no mistaking it.

"Mom…what happened…I didn't do this to you! I just saw you upstairs! I wasn't…_this_…until just now! What happened to you? What do you mean _I did this?_" he ended shouting at her as she scrabbled out of the coffin.

"_No, not yet…but soon…when the madness of the moon comes, you kill me…you kill your own motherrrrrrr!" _she shrieked as she leapt at him. Shawn dived to the side, on his feet in a moment as his body made use of its ability without him even consciously aware of it.

"No…I would never do that! The others will help me, I know they will!" he backed up, horrified that the fangs and claws were coming back against his will, the wolf inside him registering his mother as an enemy without giving him any say in the matter.

"_Erik is gone, and the father that remains knows only that you joined in the torment of his son! They will turn you away, and when you change…when you become the monster I always knew you were, you will come home, you will find me, and I will scream, I will beg for mercy, but there is no mercy to be had from beasts! Better I should have torn you from my womb than have such a traitorous abomination name me MOTHER!"_

She leapt again, and this time she tackled him to the floor. She tore at him with sharp nails, bit at his flesh with inhuman teeth. Shawn screamed and tried to push her off him while trying to keep the wolf from taking over his body. It was a losing battle; his instincts were too strong now. Shawn wolfed out completely, and within a few moments had ripped the corpse-thing into bloody pieces, ruthlessly snapping bones and tearing flesh. He came to himself drenched in her blood and staring with wide shocked eyes at her bloody skull (the scalp and hair had been thrown against the wall where it stuck with a wet splat).

"_Kill yourself…and this never…has…to…be…"_

The green glow faded from the dead eyes. Shawn walked over to where a severed hand lay, conscious thought lost as his mind fled from what just happened. He opened the pouch after pulling it from the stiff fingers and looked inside.

Ten coins lay within, glowing the same putrescent green as his mother's eyes. He looked over at the other two coffins before his eyes rolled up in his head and he fainted.

{}{}{}{}

They came marching from the Tower in single file, a never-ending line of soldiers in ancient armor and horned helmets, rusty shields and swords and axes. Grinning skulls leered at the wolves.

Stiles surprised the others with a sigh of relief. They all looked at him.

"C'mon, who cares about them? They're just stupid _skeletons!_ The zombies we fought had more meat on them, and they were pushovers! Those weapons look like they couldn't cut butter!"

Stiles stopped speaking when Vivian pointed at them.

As they passed through the bizarre rib-cage that surrounded the Tower, the lightning played over them…and suddenly the skeletal warriors became fully fleshed. Muscles and sinews that looked like they belonged on Conan or maybe the Terminator bulged obscenely under armor that was now good as new while light twinkled off the new steel of weapons that looked fresh from the forge. Axes and swords whickered back and forth through the air in expert hands.

"We are so fucked," muttered Scott.

{}{}{}{}

Shawn came to in a panic, wondering how much time had passed. He looked at the pouch holding the ten coins and surged to his feet. Without letting himself think about the possibilities, he pushed the lid off the second coffin.

In the coffin was none other than Hank Porlock, Jimmy's father and a man that Shawn had always been secretly afraid of. Hank was laid out in his old Army uniform (a gaping shotgun wound oozing scarlet in the middle of his chest), which he typically wore only when he got drunk and ranted about his dishonorable discharge. Jimmy had told him that his old man was canned for using 'excessive force' against civilians, a ridiculous charge…hadn't they been sent there to wipe the bastards out? Shawn had agreed (as he always agreed with Jimmy, just to keep the peace). When Shawn asked his own parents about it, they got quiet and told him he was too young to hear about it. Unfortunately for them, Shawn was familiar with this thing called the 'Internet' and was able to find out the truth for himself.

Hank Porlock and a few men under his command had torched an entire village while the men were away. When they returned to their base, they were found to be drunk. Shawn made it a point never to be around the man if he could help it.

Hank Porlock opened his eyes, the same pale green glow pouring out of them. He grabbed Shawn by the throat and almost seemed to slither out of the coffin. His ugly features were exaggerated to the point of monstrousness…this was the Hank Porlock that chased Shawn through endless corridors for some unknown purpose, in dreams that Shawn was always too terrified to remember.

"_You siding with the damned wolves, boy? Only thing worse than a werewolf is a wolf-lover…like the son of a bitch Sheriff who shot me and left my son to grow up without a father! Look at you, turning your back on the whole human race…worse than anybody I fought in the name of this great country! You know what they gonna do to you if they win? You think they gonna put you on their shoulders and parade you around like you scored a homer with the bases loaded?"_

Shawn backed away as Hank unbuckled his belt, lambent eyes leering at him.

"Stay away from me!" The boy turned, searching for the hole in the wall that would lead him out of here, hoping he could get through it before Hank could grab at his legs and pull him back and violate him in this dark hell where no light ever shone, except the light coming from the dead eyes in his hideous face…it would be worse than death by far.

"_This is what happens to little pansies who betray their country, who betray their own goddamned species…"_

"NO, YOU OLD PERV! _YOU_ DID THAT WHEN YOU KILLED THOSE WOMEN! THOSE KIDS! THEY WEREN'T PART OF ANY WAR! YOU KILLED THEM BECAUSE YOU'RE A _SICK TWISTED FUCK!"_

Hank lunged at him at the same time Shawn stopped backing away, falling into an attack crouch and springing forward with enough force to knock Hank backwards. Once again Shawn pulled the corpse to pieces, this time without regret; giving in to the full depth of the hatred and disgust he had for the man…a failed soldier and a failed father whose only legacy to the world was an attempt to try to poison his own son with the same sickness. Shawn gave himself over to his new inner companion completely, the two almost a single being united by the desire to kill the shade of this long-dead monster. Shawn ended it by standing over the bits and pieces that were left and slamming his foot down on the head…it squished like an overripe pumpkin. Shawn leaned back against the nearby wall, barely registering the presence of a second leather pouch in the ruins of Hank's ribcage. He was trembling from a horror that was bordering on madness. He couldn't imagine what or who might lay in the final coffin, and (wolf or not) didn't think he could face it without needing a strait-jacket afterward. He sighed as he leaned forward to pull the second pouch from its resting place. He counted ten additional coins that he stuck in his pocket with the others. The entire place suddenly shook; dust poured down on him from the unseen ceiling overhead. The battle raged above while he sat here in the dark with tears pouring down his face. Every second he waited could mean another death. And with the werewolves gone, how long would the people trapped upstairs last in the New Order?

"Get yourself up, Murphy. You have a job to do." Shawn's father used to say that to him all the time, especially on lazy Saturday mornings when he tried to hide from his chores under a pillow and blanket.

{}{}{}{}

Brigid Murphy was the first to notice the peculiarities. After splinting the Judge Thorn's leg and checking on her unconscious husband Brian, it seemed to her that some of the wounded were recovering rather quickly. Even the judge (on his third bottle of water) kept frowning at his leg and scratching at it, even moving it more than he ought to be able to.

Perhaps the gods were being kind for once.

She looked down at Brian, remembering how brave he had been. An accountant by trade, and a _barbarian_ when his family was put in danger! Brigid saw more than a few husbands running _ahead_ of their wives, leaving even their children behind…but not her Brian. And to think Brigid's father had disapproved of him! But the decaying creatures had been too much for him and knocked him headlong into a ravine where even more of the wretched things were swarming all over each other in their attempts to escape. Brigid (no shrinking violet herself) had shoved Brian towards the nearby Town Hall and climbed down after her man. She got him up just in time, thank goodness…

Brigid frowned. Brian's color was not at all good. He was still breathing heavily, but even that had acquired an unhealthy rattling sound. He had also begun to smell, slightly. Brigid bit her lip in fright.

"No, Saints preserve us; no…it can't be…" Brigid pulled up his thick shirt which she now realized was soaked with blood…with all the wounded, there seemed to be blood everywhere…but this was her _Brian's_ blood! And sure enough, under the shirt was a bite mark. The flesh was discolored around it, and beginning to spread. Her Brian was going to become one of them.

"NO! I WON'T HAVE IT!" she screamed, her thick Irish brogue emerging for the first time in years. She grabbed a bottle of fountain water and poured it on the wound, hoping that if she cleaned it quickly that he might still have a chance. Others had heard her scream and were coming over to see. If they noticed the bite, Brian would be tossed outside. Brigid's hands and jaw seemed to throb, and her ears itched something fierce under her thick red hair. Then she breathed out a sigh of relief…the water seemed to wash away the decay. Maybe it was just dirt discoloring the skin after all.

Brigid looked closer, not believing what she was seeing.

The bite mark itself was being washed away!

Brian mumbled something, his eyes fluttering weakly. Brigid quickly cupped his head and held the bottle to his mouth, urging him to drink. He was able to get a few swallows down, only coughing once or twice before the full flush of health returned once more to his face.

"Brigid? Where am I? What's going on?" Brigid hugged him joyfully, thanking whatever power blessed that water for saving her husband.

"Everyone, quick! If you haven't drunk the water yet, do it now! It heals! It healed my husband!" she shouted.

"Pretty sure we all have, ma'am!" called Mr. Healy who ran the local supermarket. He was talking with Mr. Halvorsen, and they were both holding empty bottles.

"I knew something was going on with my leg!" called Judge Thorn. He pulled himself up, seeming much spryer than his seventy years would suggest. Brigid covered her mouth with her hand as she watched his white hair slowly turn iron gray and then finally jet black. He pulled the splint off his leg and took some experimental steps. Spider veins faded away before their eyes while his withered calf bulged with new muscle. Brigid looked around and saw that a similar effect was happening to everyone. It was _beyond_ a miracle!

"We're saved! I've got to find Shawn! Has anyone seen my Shawn?" she called out. Then Brigid did a very odd thing…she sniffed the air. One whiff told her Shawn was no longer in the building, but she was almost able to tell which direction he had gone. Refusing to question it until she had him back and safe, Brigid growled under her breath and began following the invisible trail.

That was when the building was rocked to its very foundations, as if a giant were trying to pull the very roof off. As it turned out, that was exactly what was happening.

{}{}{}{}

Shawn hurled the lid off the third coffin, and was almost not surprised to find Anson Cooper inside. Anson looked hulked out, as if the steroids he had been using had given him almost comic book style super powers.

"_You…you were my best friend…and now you're with him…THE ONE WHO KILLED ME!"_

Shawn had had enough. He slammed his hand under the rib cage and pulled out the thing's heart, tossing it away when Anson fell back into the coffin, an expression of horrified surprise etched into his dead face.

"Well, you always were an asshole," Shawn grabbed the last pouch and ran for the hole, pulling himself up and into it with animal grace and crawling toward the exit as fast as he could. In a moment, he was through and climbing the ladder out of this hell hole. Sniffing, he scented his mother and father and ran for them.

The roof was gone, and the townsfolk of Beacon Hills were standing there looking up at the All-Father in the fullness of his Divine power. Two enormous ravens flew around his head cawing loudly enough to hurt his ears. Dressed in full Viking armor, the giant slammed his hand down on top of the Wolf fountain, demolishing it. The walls were obliterated when he swept his other arm through the collapsing building hoping to crush the people within.

But those people were no longer exactly human.

The imminent danger triggered shifts in everyone present except the very young, who were themselves snatched up by snarling parents or whoever happened to be close by. Shawn joined in his parents who fled back outside only to find a different battle already in progress.

The Hale Pack was being decimated by a horde of Viking warriors that significantly outnumbered them. The werewolves were all on the defensive; just doing everything they could to remain alive and whole. Pack instinct took over in all the new werewolves present, who immediately joined the fray and began to turn the battle in their favor. With the added numbers, the werewolves were able to get on the offensive, and Viking blood began to pour into the already soaked ground.

Shawn watched his father rip a warrior's head off, saw his mother tear out a throat with her teeth. Snarling with bloodthirsty anticipation, he selected his own target and began racking up his own kills.

The All-Father saw the tide turning and roared in outrage. He raised a hand to the heavens, and lightning struck his outstretched palm and freezing in place to become a sword that hummed with lethal electricity. He raised it over his head, prepared to bring it down in a stroke that might split the earth in two when a roaring howl filled the world and made the All-Father stop and turn to face the new threat.

A wolf that seemed to fill the sky, great jaws agape and with eyes of flame leapt on the giant and brought him down. Teeth the size of skyscrapers clamped down on the giant's throat…but before they could rip away the All-Father's life, the ravens descended and tore at the beast with their beaks and claws. Fenrir howled as his blood was shed, and the ravens crowed their triumph even as their heads darted forward to pluck out the flaming eyes.

That was when two enormous wolf-heads suddenly sprouted from the shoulders of the beast, turning him into a lupine Cerberus for a moment before the Avatars Erik and Robin fully emerged from within Fenrir to snap their jaws closed on Hugin and Munin, crushing the life from the bodies until the great wings ceased their frantic flapping.

The All-Father was not done yet, however. The hand that held his lightning-sword turned the blade and readied to send it directly into Fenrir's heart…before the third even larger Avatar split off, Derek's jaws closing around the wrist before biting the hand off altogether.

The All-Father roared in pain, a shout that was quickly ended as Fenrir finally pulled his throat open.

The remaining warriors from Valgrind stood silent and still as the flesh once more disappeared from their bones, all of which collapsed to dust. A shrieking whirlwind from the tower sucked the remains back inside until the great door slammed shut, the stone blocks tumbling apart a moment later.

All the werewolves cheered; the townspeople and the Pack joining together and howling at their sudden victory. Only Stiles, Laurie, Danny and Ted remained quiet as they looked up at the Avatars and felt the loss of the ones they loved.

{}{}{}{}

"I have talk to them all, tell them what to expect now. Um, what can they expect now?" Stiles asked the Beast of Ragnarok, who was stretched out on his back, mouth open and tongue hanging out as he basked in his new freedom. The first thing Fenrir had done after the battle was promote the Hale Pack members to Alpha status…as such they would now be able to communicate with Fenrir directly without the use of an intermediary.

"_The lunar eclipse will end the imprisonment of the people…but the dome will be maintained forever with one small change…Beacon Hills is now a world onto itself. Only my children will be able to enter (an amusing reversal of what Mountain Ash did to us, no?), and the travails of the outside world will have no sway over it. This place is Mine, and will last forever."_

"But some of them have families that live all over the world!" Stiles knew he was pushing his luck; Fenrir was in a good humor at the moment, but like any werewolf that could change at any time.

"_They are welcome to go and visit their kin, or, if they wish to bring them back here, as will be the case with the Bradley pup's parents, I will be more than happy to embrace them into the Pack."_

"What about bringing goods into or out of town? What about government inspectors or builders or…"

"_It would take but a little of My influence to convince humans not to try to enter and believe it was their own idea; your concerns are irrelevant. As for goods, what little cannot be produced here and be fetched and brought in by any one of our people. Are you not in charge such an industry in your human life? This is My will, and so it will be. It is for the best."_

"And Derek? Erik? Robin? If you've got this wolfy force-field, why do you need them to stay the way they are?"

"_Alas, it is difficult to remove Divine power without killing the mortal who wields it. It only takes a few centuries to millennia for it to seep away if it is not actively replenished by the devout or expended in great workings. If you want your mate back…just be patient and wait. If you need assistance with that, just come to me. I have some experience with it."_

Stiles' mouth hung open at that. He didn't know what to say.

Fenrir rolled over once, and slept. The conversation, such as it was, had ended.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles spoke to the people of the town, and explained everything as best he could. He told them about their new life and their new powers, and the choices they would now have to make. Some took it in stride, many came around after taking the time to think about it, and a small few were pretty upset but realized there was nothing to be done. They decided to work together to rebuild the town and go about their lives pretty much as they did before…with some small changes in routine and diet. The Avatars patrolled the borders at night or kept company with Fenrir by day. After a time, the townspeople no longer even noticed them.

{}{}{}{}

One day, Shawn Murphy came up to Stiles after a day of playing with Dylan and Christine (the boy sensed how Erik's loss must have hit him and tried to make up for it in this small way). He gave Stiles three leather pouches containing some old coins.

"Are these…oh holy hell Shawn, you actually were able to find them?" Stiles was loathe to touch them, considering their history let alone their power.

"Yeah, I'm glad we didn't need them anyway. No good could ever come from using them that I could see."

"Maybe…maybe not." As Shawn ran off to play with the children (today he was attempting to teach them how to play baseball; it was the one thing Derek _had_ proven himself better than Stiles at), an idea began to form in Stiles' mind. It would take some research, but that was something he had mastered long before he ever became a werewolf.

{}{}{}{}

Stiles approached the Avatars on the hill outside of town proper (but still within Beacon Hill's borders) where they typically remained during the day. Stiles could easily tell who was who, even in these forms. He approached Derek, who put his head down under his enormous paws and whined.

"Hey, Der, Erik, Robin. Brought you guys some gifts."

The Avatars tilted their heads and gave questioning growls.

He placed the first pouch in front of Derek who sniffed and pawed at it suspiciously at it before glancing at Stiles. As the great head leaned down towards him, Stiles kissed the side of the enormous muzzle.

"Betrayed with a kiss, sorry Der. Now it's your turn, Erik!" The second pouch was placed before his son, and the third before Robin. In each case, Stiles made sure to kiss them. For some whacko reason, this was how the coins worked. All together, the coins could probably have rendered the Avatars fully human again, but if they each just got _ten…_maybe, just maybe…

"I, Stiles Stilinski, possessor of the thirty sacred coins hereby invoke their power! Drain the Divine Essence from these whom I love…these, my victims…these, _whom I have betrayed!"_

So went the spell Stiles found in an ancient Argent text, helpfully translated by Lydia from the original Ancient Aramaic.

The Avatars howled as black lightning crackled upwards from the collected coins in their pouches. By the time Fenrir came bounding up, the three great wolves had already begun to shrink and slowly revert to their human forms. All three ran towards Stiles as soon as their legs were human enough to do so.

{}{}{}{}

"Fenrir's pissed…you broke the rules, and did it by betrayal. He hates that." Derek was speaking in between massive bites of a rare hamburger. The groans he was making while he ate were obscene.

"He'll get over it in time. Tell Him to be patient; it should only take a few centuries or millennia," Stiles snarked. "You guys are still werewolves, and still Alphas…that should be enough for him."

Erik and Robin were similarly eating massive quantities of food…such a drastic transformation had left all three famished to the point of desperation. Laurie kept coming over with more food from the grill where Ted and Danny were cooking up a storm. They were positively glowing to have Robin back, while Laurie kept crying and hugging her brother. Derek was going to find out just how much Stiles missed him later tonight…and every night forever.

"What happened to the coins?" asked Chris Argent.

"Fenrir called up Alberich to take back the Rheingold. The dwarf was furious at being tricked by Gallows, but he became pretty happy to be given the coins as well. He'll hide them in a pocket dimension somewhere no one will ever find them. I owe Shawn for going through what he did to get them. He went through hell for us." Stiles said meaningfully to Erik.

Erik nodded. "Don't worry, Pop. I'll make it up to him. Do you know what happened to the Great Pack? I feel like they're gone."

Derek looked sad for his son…he knew what it was like to lose a Pack. "Well…the afterlife for werewolves wasn't very pleasant, son. Now, instead of a lake with an island, Fenrir converted one of the old Norse dimensions that's not in use anymore into a place any werewolf would call paradise. As pleasant as that sounds, I hope none of us get to see it for a very long time."

Stiles, squeezing Derek's hand in longing (too impatient even to wait for evening to fall it seemed) could only agree.

_**A/N – One more fluff chapter after this, and that should be that. Thank all of you who have stuck with this to the end…life made it impossible for me to write as much as I wanted to, and the keys for this AU were harder to find every time I put them down. This may not be the best thing I ever wrote, but it is definitely one of my favorites. Thank all of you so much and I will get the last chapter up soon…and remember; reviews are ALWAYS appreciated. Remember, authors write thousands of words in hopes of receiving maybe two or three sentences in response whether critique or praise. It is what helps us learn and grow as writers and goddamn it it's just like M&M's or potato chips, one is never enough. Hope everyone had a great holiday season and see you next fic.**_


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